A woman was taken into custody following an incident where she allegedly slapped a Spirit Airlines staff member after being denied boarding for a trip. The unruly passenger incident, which occurred May 11 at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, gained widespread attention on social media after a video of the incident went viral.
Tearaney Burroughs is currently facing assault charges after an altercation ensued when she was refused entry at the gate for being “too intoxicated,” as reported by Fox News 5 Atlanta. Witnesses at the scene stated that the woman became extremely upset upon being denied access and resorted to slapping a Spirit Airlines employee in an effort to force her way through.
Segments of the incident following the altercation were captured on body cameras worn by the Atlanta Police Department and later shared with the public.
Law enforcement was called to the Atlanta Police Department in response to reports of a woman attempting to forcefully bypass the gates and proceed onto the jet bridge. Subsequently, she was apprehended and subsequently transported to Clayton County Jail.
The Spirit Airlines employee did not sustain severe injuries as a result of the altercation.
While just a small percentage of Atlanta airport travelers behave violently, the problem is getting worrisome. Former Clayton County solicitor Keith Martin shared his concern about the occurrences involving unruly passengers in an interview with Fox News 5.
“Let’s rename the gate agent,” Martin said. “Call them gatekeepers because they are absolutely the last line of defense in keeping someone off the plane who may cause trouble.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, a new International Air Transport Association study reports that unruly passenger events on flights jumped 47% between 2021 and 2022, with physical abuse being the most prevalent sort of occurrence. Other transgressions included taking alcoholic beverages from outside into the plane, failing to wear a seat belt, and carrying too much luggage. Physical abuse occurrences occurred on one out of every 17,200 flights, a 61% increase over the previous year.
