LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — A man from Henderson was behind bars in Atlanta on Thursday after he was caught on video assaulting a Southwest Airlines gate agent.
44-year-old Courtney Drummond's flight was forced to return to its gate at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Tuesday after police said he “refused to comply with flight attendants."
Video shared by CNN News Source shows a man identified as Drummond punching a gate agent in the face. He is accused of threatening the agent multiple times before assaulting him after he was escorted off the plane.
Drummond was booked into Clayton County Jail for battery, simple battery, and obstruction.
The Federal Aviation Administration enacted a zero-tolerance policy for unruly passengers in 2021, a year that saw a surge in such incidents.
MORE: Airlines call for nationwide no-fly list to ban unruly passengers
The agency reports there were approximately 6,000 unruly passenger incidents in 2021, and more than 4,000 of those were related to face mask requirements.
Those who behave in an unruly or dangerous manner on planes can face fines of up to $37,000.
