Delta airlines says a pilot actually did the right thing by hitting a woman. A statement obtained by LawNewz.com stated that he “deescalated an altercation between passengers” by getting involved.
Video posted by TMZ shows the April 21 incident at the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in Georgia. Footage apparently shows two women fighting, and falling to the ground. The male pilot tries to break it up, and when doing so, seems to strike one of the brawlers.
“Knock it off!” a male voice said on tape.
A third woman was also involved.
Here’s the airline’s full statement:
We became aware of this incident and a video last week and immediately removed the pilot from duty while we completed a thorough investigation. Local law enforcement was called to respond at the time of the incident. The pilot has since been returned to work as our investigation found that his actions deescalated an altercation between passengers on the jetway floor during deplaning.
We confirmed that cops are investigating the incident. The Public Information Office for the Atlanta Police Department told LawNewz.com that information wouldn’t be forthcoming until Monday since it is the weekend.
Airlines have attracted more scrutiny thanks to several high-profile, fraught incidents between employees and passengers. First, there was Kentucky’s Dr. David Dao. Viral video shows him being forcibly removed off a United flight at random in order to make room for standby crew to sit. His attorney said he lost two teeth, broke his nose, and suffered a concussion. They later settled for an undisclosed sum announced Thursday. There was also an attendant on an American Airlines fight who allegedly hit a woman in a stroller, also almost striking her baby.
Recently, a woman threatened to sue Delta after the airline allegedly refused to stop a masturbating passenger. In an unrelated incident involving the same company, a man was kicked off his plane after using the restroom as the flight sat third-in-line for take-off.
[Screengrab via Alex JW Robinson]