A woman on a Delta Airlines flight from Tampa to Atlanta was taken into FBI custody after video showed her slapping and spitting on a passenger two days before Christmas.
In a video obtained by a popular Twitter account, @ATLUncensored, the female passenger stood above an older man and began yelling at him to put his mask on. The woman, who was also not wearing a mask, was cursing at the man as a flight attendant approached and attempted to deescalate the situation.
Eventually, another Delta employee asked the woman to put her mask on but she argued that the man needed to also.
"Tell him to mask up," the woman said as she pointed at the man.
In the video, the woman then smacked the passenger before the video showed her spit in the man's face.
As the other flight attendants attempted to restrain the woman, she appeared to once again grab the man's face. The two passengers continued to argue and curse at each other before she was eventually restrained by two men.
At the end of the recording, a passenger said the woman "went crazy on the airplane, punched this man in the face, spit on him, scratched him (and) poured hot water on my leg."
Delta employees and police were waiting at the gate when the plane landed at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. Passengers told police the woman, Patricia Cornwall, caused a disturbance on the plane which resulted in injuries, WSBTV reported. The extent of the injuries has not been released.
Cornwall was detained by authorities and was taken into FBI custody. It is unclear what charges she will face.
A statement from Delta Airlines on Sunday explained that the disturbance occurred on Flight 2790 from Tampa to Atlanta.
"Situations like these are rare for the vast majority of our customers and Delta has zero tolerance for unruly behavior at our airports and aboard our aircraft," a spokesperson for Delta said Sunday.
The Federal Aviation Administration has seen a significant uptick in unruly passenger incidents aboard commercial aircraft. As of December 21, the FAA received more than 5,779 unruly passenger reports, with 4,156 being mask-related.
Individuals engaged in unruly behavior can be prosecuted on criminal charges and face up to $37,000 per violation. One incident can result in multiple violations.
In November, U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland advised U.S. attorneys to prioritize the prosecution of federal crimes on commercial flights, stating unruly passengers endanger everyone aboard.
"Passengers who assault, intimidate or threaten violence against flight crews and flight attendants do more than harm those employees; they prevent the performance of critical duties that help ensure safe air travel," Garland said. "Similarly, when passengers commit violent acts against other passengers in the close confines of a commercial aircraft, the conduct endangers everyone aboard."
