A Delta passenger was removed from a flight and arrested after she refused to get off her cell phone as the plane prepared to leave Florida, authorities said.
Shannon Marie Harris, 46, of Georgia, was on her phone while flight attendants aboard flight 1323 to Atlanta were giving safety instructions April 27. Harris became “belligerent” when flight attendants asked her to get off her phone, according to an arrest report provided to USA Today Network-Florida.
The captain decided to return the plane to the gate. A Delta supervisor attempted to get Harris off the plane, but she refused. At that point, the decision was made to have all passengers deplane.
Harris then attempted to get off the plane, at which time she was arrested, according to authorities. She is facing trespassing charges, and was released from jail on $500 bond. She’s due in court May 15.
Delta officials said the plane took off about an hour late.
“The safety of our customers and crew comes before all else, and Delta has zero tolerance for disruptive behavior,” according to a statement from Delta. “We apologize to our customers for this experience and delay in their travels.”
Fellow Delta passengers try to convince woman to get off phone
A video of the incident taken shows a fellow passenger standing up, trying to reason with Harris, telling her there are people “100-plus people” on the plane trying to see their families.
Another passenger can be heard saying, “Please be considerate. Please be considerate. Consider yourself and the rest of us.”
Disappointed passengers responded with moans and saying, “no way,” when they learned they all had to deplane. A Delta employee asked the passengers to remain calm as passengers said Harris would end up in jail and started chanting, “Get off the plane.”
Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Delta passenger arrested for refusing to hang up phone on Miami flight
Reporting by Michelle Spitzer, USA TODAY NETWORK – Florida / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
