Passenger Allegedly Assaults Spirit Airlines Gate Agent After Denied Boarding

A woman in the United States (US) was arrested by police after she was accused of assaulting a Spirit Airlines employee.

The passenger, Tearaney Burrough, was denied entry on to her flight after staff at the gate suspected her of being “intoxicated”.

According to a witness Burrough assaulted the staff member after she was denied boarding.

An incident report said at 9:40pm on May 11, 2023, police were dispatched to Concourse E-Gate 3 at the Atlanta Airport (ATL) after receiving reports of a woman attempting to push her way through the gates and onto the jet bridge.

In a statement to Fox5 Atlanta, former Clayton County solicitor Keith Martin said: “Let’s rename the gate agent. Call them gatekeepers because they are absolutely the last line of defence in keeping someone off the plane who may cause trouble.”

Footage from an officer’s bodycam showing the moment Burrough was arrested was made public by Atlanta Police.

In the short clip Burrough is seen being put into handcuffs as a female officer tells the unruly passenger that they have a witness that saw the assault.

Police took the Burrough to the Clayton County Jail and charged her with assault.

The Spirit Airlines employee was not seriously injured.