By Andrea Ahles, McClatchy Newspapers –
FORT WORTH, Texas — The Dallas/Fort Worth Airport has released the police report from Friday’s incident when an American Airlines flight attendant disrupted a flight prior to take-off.
The flight’s captain told DFW airport police that the lead flight attendant was involved in an altercation with passengers who had restrained her in the first-class cabin, according to the police report.
“She was combative, screaming for them to leave her alone. For my safety and the safety of the passengers, and because she was combative and acting irrational, I immediately handcuffed the flight attendant. The flight attendant continued being combative and resisting our attempts to take her off the aircraft,” the report said. “Once we got her off the aircraft, she continued to resist, and made a comment about a co-worker being killed on 09-11-2011, when her plane went through the tower.”
The report said the 43-year-old flight attendant tried to spit on emergency medical personnel but the spit hit the jet bridge wall. The report also said that she was put in leg restraints because she tried to kick officers.
The flight attendant was taken to Parkland Hospital for evaluation because officers considered her a danger to herself and others.
Another flight attendant, who was injured from a kick to the abdomen while trying to restrain her co-worker, told police that her co-worker was being treated for bipolar disorder and had not been taking her medication. She added that she did not want to pursue assault charges against her co-worker.
FBI agents on the scene also determined that they would not be filing charges against the flight attendant for disrupting a commercial flight “because it was obviously caused by her mental episode.”
American Airlines Flight 2332 had already pulled away from the gate, preparing for its departure, when the incident occurred. About 140 passengers were on the plane heading for Chicago. A new flight crew was brought in and passengers made it to their destination about an hour late.
