Dallas

Pre-Flight Assault Sends Southwest Employee to Hospital Before Takeoff to NYC, Officials Say

The passenger was charged with aggravated assault, Dallas police say

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NBC 5 News

A woman was arrested and a Southwest Airlines employee hospitalized after a confrontation at Dallas Love Field on Saturday, authorities say.

A passenger "verbally and physically" assaulted a Southwest Airlines employee during the boarding process for a flight from Dallas to New York's LaGuardia Airport, an airline spokesperson said.

Dallas police said the passenger, 32-year-old Arielle Jean Jackson, boarded and got into a "verbal altercation" with a flight attendant at the back of the plane.

Dallas Police Department
Arielle Jackson was arrested after assaulting Southwest Airlines employees.

Jackson then went to the front of the plane, where she confronted a second employee, who she struck "with a closed fist to the head," police said.

Dallas police said the employee was taken to a hospital in stable condition, while Jackson was charged with aggravated assault.

The employee was released from the hospital Sunday, according to Southwest Airlines.

"Southwest Airlines maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding any type of harassment or assault and fully support our employee as we cooperate with local authorities regarding this unacceptable incident," the airline said in a written statement.

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