A Southwest Airlines agent was punched – and then had to be restrained by another employee – after a disruptive passenger was offloaded off of a flight that had just returned to the gate on Tuesday.
The customer, identified by police as Courtney Drummond, can be seen in video taken by an onlooker shouting and walking up to the counter – before whaling on the employee who hadn’t been a part of any earlier altercation.
Craziness breaks out in the Atlanta Airport! 🥴👇🏻 pic.twitter.com/XdjmG5ehrN
— Cyndi Burnham Schonefeld (@OffCyndisc) March 23, 2022
According to Atlanta police,
Drummond refused to comply with flight attendants as a Southwest flight was being taxied from the gate to the tarmac.
Police said Drummond was asked to leave the flight after the plane was forced to return to the gate due to his “aggressive behavior.”
The man was charged with batter, simple battery, and obstruction – typical multiple charges for essentially the same (egregious) offense) – and sent to Clayton County Jail with bond set at $10,000.
According to the airline,
Southwest Airlines has zero tolerance for any type of assault against our Employees or Customers. As a result of this inexcusable attack, the individual has been banned from flying with Southwest Airlines.
Southwest also expressed appreciation to the employees who protected the gate agent that was under attack as well as law enforcement’s response.
The incident is so off the rails that even the passenger’s grandmother is apologizing,
My heart goes out to everyone, the staff at Southwest — they are in my prayers. I’m sorry this happened and this was caused by him. He comes from a godly family. My husband is a pastor of a church here.
The family, she says, is “sorry” and “very hurt” by what the grandson did.
I have interest in this type of news.
This is the type of person that needs to be on a no fly list
Can anyone explain why he took his shirt off?
WWJD has a very different meaning in the south these days.
Good thing airport authorities spent so much money on Segways – for ultra fast response time right?
The 11th Commandment: Thou show your ass in an airport and act criminally insane. Everyone sees the Great American slide to hell.
Waiting for the blame on masks, small seats, crowded flights, and alcohol.
Why is he allowed to use the “N” word?
Does anyone see the third-world country slide too? Is this guy on drugs? Why is it OK for him to use the “N-word”?
Amazingly it did not happen at MIA.
But most importantly is the person who filmed the video ok?
It is about time that airline employees realized that they can bring a civil assault small claims lawsuit against people like this. The maximum amount is dependent upon the state, but usually somewhere around $5,000. No attorneys allowed.
Hopefully, to help prevent other gate agents from physical assault and injury, Southwest Airlines should consider banning this passenger from flying for at least a week.
He belongs in jail for assault
And…about the female agents who came to the attacked agent’s aid and kept the assault from escalating to a flat out brawl
Why is this stuff posted!?
He took off his shirt to hide. They are cowards. His family should be embarrassed. Since they came out with “ BLACK LIFE MATTER” they feel, they are above the law.
Great, LOL, just another great episode of these Obama’s.
The woman who told the man “you got to go” is a real hero. Not sure I would have stepped in front of that guy.
If not for her, it would have been a melee.
Gary, how can we acknowledge her best?
Relax…..he was just feeling oppressed. Nolle prosequi.
I’ll sat it again. 90 days jail, no early release. Minimum 5k fine and permanent no fly list. Why are the feds going easy on these dangerous, selfish people?
Mark D – Why? – for the same reason he can spew/use the “N” word, that’s why ….
WG, what does your comment even mean? Are you too scared to use the N word, hiding behind cowardly initials, instead you have to use dog whistles?
Ban the swine
Ah, a day in the life at American airports. Yet another (of many) reasons not to spend tourist dollars in America.
#PLM PassengerLivesMatter!
Southwest banned him? So what, he can still fly Spirit!
No federal charges for this??
He watched too many tik Tok videos and thought it was ok to act like that. He was just fishing for a lawsuit thinking he could get paid for acting like an idiot.
Anyone surprise? Typical behavior for this low life. The reality is that nothing will happen to him given that Atlanta is a liberal cesspool and the DA will not pursue the charges.
What is it with all you right-wing nuts talking about BLM and “why can he use the N-word?!” I don’t think anyone thinks anything he did or said was okay, including his language. How can you turn this obvious terrible behavior by one man, who is being punished, into some sort of leftist political thing? Get a life.
mbh – well, since you asked – apparently there are 2 standards in play here (1) Blacks being allowed to spew the “N” word every other word, and (2) the taboo for any other race to even mutter the “N” word, even once, without there being leftist “outrage” being screamed and calling these other people as being “racist”. Does that answer you ignorant question?
Mr. Miller you are correct in that Blacks call each other the N word all the time, sometimes in affection, sometimes in anger. Those are their cultural rules. Leftist or Rightist outrage is irrelevant, it is a choice Blacks have made.
Jorge – you can’t have it both ways. The phrase “their cultural rules” is a pathetic response. Non Black outrage is relevant, in spite of the brain washing you have obviously received and believe. When Blacks quit with using the “N” word , all other races will have a reason not to use it. Until that happens, no one has the right to complain when any one uses the word.
Mr. Miller, I understand your point.
Do I like hearing it amongst my Black friends? No, especially said negatively. It’s just what some of them do. I’m just reporting from the front lines, I’m not excusing it. I wish that word would go away. The few times I have asked gently why I’m told “it’s our thing butt out.” I’m Hispanic, by the way, not that it matters. Outrage from whomever doesn’t matter. “It’s their thing.” Not all of them of course…..
Oh, and I’m old. I’ve seen too much.
I have no faith that “other races” will stop using that word no matter what.
In today’s world where people have decided screaming wins their argument? Not you of course. That makes me sad…..
Jorge – think about what you said, “the few times I have asked “gently” and their response “it’s our thing, butt out”. Do you see the irony of the fact that you have felt the need to “gently” ask , and the fact that you are told to “butt out” ? Why should you have to ask “gently”? Is it because you could suffer bodily harm or lose you job if they were to complain? Face it, other cultures and races are expected to have a civil tongue , but Blacks aren’t. As I said before, you can not have it both ways. If Blacks want to see the usage of the “N” word disappear, then they need to quit using it.
Mr. Miller, I agree. That would be nice. I’m just telling what I have lived. Good night sir…..
Jorge – it saddens me that I am right – this should not be allowed, nothing good can and does come from it.
Agreed sir.
I guess if it works for Will Smith? The decline of civilization. Just too too many people now.