An American Airways passenger was hauled off a aircraft by police in New Orleans after she refused to put on a masks, authorities mentioned.
The incident occurred on a flight that was set to depart from Louis Armstrong Worldwide Airport round 9:30 a.m. Friday to Dallas, The New Orleans Advocate reported.
“I’ve by no means seen something fairly prefer it earlier than,” one other passenger, retired Tulane College historical past professor Patrick Maney, instructed the paper.
Maney mentioned two armed cops got here on the aircraft and ordered the girl to depart after she wouldn’t placed on a masks, per federal legislation for business flights.
“She refused, and so they then instructed her to rise up. She was screaming and resisting as they hauled her up and put some form of restraints on her fingers behind her again,” Maney mentioned.
Maney mentioned he may hear the girl screaming for about 10 minutes whereas in custody.
“She stored saying that she was not an animal and didn’t need to be handled like an animal, issues like that,” he instructed the paper.
American Airways confirmed that that the flight was delayed and the aircraft was pressured to return to the gate due to the incident, the Advocate reported.
Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Workplace Capt. Jason Rivarde mentioned {that a} girl was arrested after refusing a number of requests to get off the aircraft.
She faces fees of disturbing the peace, remaining in a spot after being forbidden, resisting arrest and easy assault, Rivarde mentioned.