Woman attacks six deputies in New Orleans airport

The young woman was forcibly removed from the Spirit Airways plane. Photo / Unsplash

A young woman left six sheriff’s deputies injured after a fight at a Louisiana airport on Thanksgiving Day after refusing to exit a plane.

The 25-year-old bit, kicked and spit at the deputies at Jefferson Parish sheriff’s deputies at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, local news outlets reported on Saturday.

Spirit airlines workers called for the deputies to help remove the woman from the flight to New Jersey for disruptive and aggressive behaviour.

She reportedly asked passengers she assumed were Latino whether they were smuggling cocaine then grew increasingly angry reported The Times-Picayune and The New Orleans Advocate.

When the deputies arrived, Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jason Rivarde said she refused to leave the plane and became “extremely combative,” when they tried to arrest her.

At this point, she was handcuffed to a wheelchair so she could be moved to the airport security office, reported the Times-Picayune. The six deputies were treated on the scene by paramedics.

She was later identified as Shannon Epstein, the niece of former New Jersey Governor Chris Christy.

Following her removal, Epstein was charged with three counts of disturbing the peace, one count of resisting arrest by force, six counts of battery on a police officer and another count of remaining on the plane after being ordered to leave.

The incident occurred early on Thanksgiving Day and she was held at Jefferson Parish Correctional Center. Bail was set at US$10,750; after paying this, she was released later that day.

A court date has been scheduled for January 23.

As passenger numbers return to pre-pandemic levels, the US has seen an increase in the reports of unruly passenger behaviour. Last year was the worst on record for unruly passenger complaints, with 5,981 reports made by the FAA. Of these, nearly 72 per cent were related to the mask mandates.

As of November 1, 2022, there have been just 2,178 reports.