On Monday evening Spirit Airlines flight NK2322 from Newark to San Juan broke out in a major fight throughout the cabin over a passenger not wearing a mask. What’s remarkable is the extent of the brawl, and that it happened upon landing in Puerto Rico, rather than prior to departure. The woman who wouldn’t wear a mask was ultimately tased by police who responded to the brawl.
Caught on Camera: A fight over whether or not to wear a mask onboard a Spirit Airlines plane that had just arrived in Puerto Rico led to a woman – who police say was the aggressor – being tased by police who are considering filing charges.
pic.twitter.com/2iJeNl12Pn— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) October 27, 2020
There are several passengers doing their best tryouts for a remake of Road House prior to Dalton showing up at the ‘Double Deuce’ in the aisles of the plane.
According to the man who filmed the video, “the fight broke out because the woman refused to follow the airlines protocol to wear a mask.” The reporter who spoke with the man, though, says that things started before the plane landed. There was another passenger who wouldn’t wear a mask and kept switching seats. This man and his unmasked traveling companions (who were black) got into a shouting match with other passengers, and that included racial slurs.
To be clear: the woman who threw the first punch is allegedly the same person who refused to wear a mask who then ended up being tased by police because of her belligerent behavior which is seen on video here.
Not long after I posted this video, I spoke to Alfredo, a man who is seen in the video wearing a purple shirt. He is Puerto Rican. He said there’s more to the story. Alfredo says the woman seen on video throwing punches, was punched by 1 man before she punched anyone.
Alfredo says during the flight, a young man was moving about the plane, switching seats and not wearing a mask. Flights attendants, according to Alfredo, instructed the man to stop switching seats & to wear his mask. The man didn’t stop.
When the plane landed police were called. 3 women who Alfredo says appeared to be traveling with the young man were also not masks, most of the flight, & were moving around while the sets belt sign was on.
The flights attendants – Alfredo says – asked the women to stay seated a wear a mask. One on the ground, Alfredo says 3 men began yelling homophobic & racial slurs at the 3 women who are black. 1 man, Alfredo says, hit one of the women, who then started punching. That’s the woman who’s seen on video throwing punches when the police make their way into the plane.
The tased woman was ultimately arrested and spent the night in a Puerto Rican jail.
Dormirá en prisión la turista que agredió a un civil y varios agentes de la policía en medio de una trifulca en avión de Spirit cuando llegaba a la Isla. La joven de 24 años se le fijó una fianza de 150 mil dólares la cual no prestó. @TelenoticiasPR pic.twitter.com/ZOKRaRe7Gl
— Marjorie Ramírez (@marjramirez) October 27, 2020
While all airline passengers may be Spirit Airlines passengers now, there’s nothing quite like Spirit Airlines passengers.
(HT: @conratravel)
Definitely spirited passengers on Spirit airlines.
I think BLM needs to get involved and shed light on the obvious oppression that is happening here. #FlyingWhileBlack
2021 can’t come soon enough!
I flew DL on Friday morning JFK-SJU and all the passengers wore masks and were civil to one another. That is definitely a different kind of in flight entertainment.
David, it turns out that like most folks, some black people can be assholes, just like you.
That’s one helluva butch!