A woman attacked a Southwest airlines employee and a computer at an airport in Florida reportedly trying to get through to her gate after it was closed
A female caused over $1,000 worth of damage at the Orlando International Airport after attacking a Southwest Airlines employee and one of the airlines computers, police said.
The woman, identified as 45-year-old Selomit Velez-Rodriguez, was seen on video yelling at a Southwest airline employee and trying to kick him as she wanted to get through her gate after it closed. Mother******, are you kidding me? Velez-Rodriguez reportedly said in the video, adding that she was hoping to get to her destination to bury her brother, Mediate reported.
The footage also shows Velez-Rodriguez punching the computer monitor multiple times and yelling at employees, saying that this was not the only flight she missed, the outlet added.
The video was first posted by Southwest airlines passenger Peyton Turbeville.
Police stated that her violent behavior resulted in $1,000 worth of damage to airport equipment.
Velez-Rodriguez was arrested and charged by police for multiple counts, including battery, criminal mischief, and resisting an officer without violence.
After she posted a $5,000 bond, she was allowed to return home to Illinois, according to Mediate.
People have gotten real crazy, thats wild. I mean, you walk into places, theyre just doing their jobs. Cant take it out on everybody, a witness told FOX 5 Atlanta.
It just makes me sad, another witness said. Theres something about air travel that stresses people out, but theres no reason to commit physical violence.
The news comes after authorities released bodycam footage showing the moment a Southwest Airlines pilot was escorted from his cockpit by police before takeoff after allegedly reporting for duty under the influence of alcohol.
The footage, which has only recently been made public, shows the officer confronting the pilot during pre-flight checks for flight 3772 from Savannah to Chicago in January, after a TSA screener reported smelling alcohol.
The pilot, identified as David Paul Allsop, was arrested for a DUI in January at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia, the Mirror US reported.
In the footage, officer Josiah Best can be heard asking Allsop when he last had something to drink. “Last night,” he responds.
“About how many hours ago,” the officer pressed.
“About 10 hours ago at least,” the pilot answered. Allsop said he’d had “a few beers”.
When asked several times to define how many, he said three.
Officers asked Allsop to complete a series of field sobriety tests, which he initially resisted, telling police there was “no need.”
However, the officer claimed he could “smell an odor consistent with an alcoholic beverage”.
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