A man was arrested at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Tuesday after he punched a Southwest Airlines gate agent.
Courtney Drummond, 44, was kicked off his flight for refusing “to comply with flight attendants” as the plane prepared for takeoff.
The Southwest plane was forced to return to its gate to offload Drummond, which is when he reportedly became very aggressive and violent.
In a video posted online, Drummond can be seen punching a gate attendant square in the face without warning.
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As airport and airline employees attempt to get in between the men, Drummond jumps over a row of seats in an attempt to attack the gate agent again.
He then slowly walks away before removing his top to go topless in the terminal.
The camerawomen can be heard telling him: “Brother, don’t do that. Don’t do that.”
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In a statement, the Atlanta Police Department said Drummond refused to comply with flight attendants as a Southwest flight was being taxied from the gate to the tarmac.
“After Mr. Drummond was escorted off of the plane, he threatened a Southwest Gate agent several times and ultimately assaulted him,” the department confirmed.
Drummond was arrested on charges of simple battery, battery, and obstruction, and was taken to the Clayton County Jail.
“Southwest Airlines has zero tolerance for any type of assault against our Employees or Customers,” the statement said. “As a result of this inexcusable attack, the individual has been banned from flying with Southwest Airlines,” the carrier said in a statement.
Drummond’s mother, Gwendolyn Foster, confirmed to CNN her son is still in custody in Georgia, and apologised for the incident.
“My heart goes out to everyone, the staff at Southwest — they are in my prayers. I’m sorry this happened and this was caused by him,” Foster said.
“He comes from a godly family. My husband is a pastor of a church here,” she said.
