In the early hours of last Monday, January 30, an intense fight broke out in the lobby of the Philadelphia airport. The video of the incident is disturbing to watch and shows how a stressful situation rapidly spiraled out of control and led to a massive brawl.
What Happened?
Two mothers, with their respective daughters, were trying to board a flight. However, there was a problem. They had excess carry-on baggage and were barred by airline employees for Spirit Airlines.
The employee told these women they would have to pay an extra fee to bring the bags on. They got understandably angry, but instead of just arguing, the situation became physical.
All of this ruckus over baggage charges at Philly airport#Philadelphia #brawls #fight #Airport #Ratchet pic.twitter.com/z5jVYSpnhM
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The mothers refused to pay and began to physically attack the agents while verbally abusing them. One passenger, who saw the whole situation, said he was amazed and disturbed by the whole scene.
He said the fight was extremely violent, where even a child was in the middle, and it was possible to see splashes of blood. The fight dragged on for a surprisingly long time with nobody breaking it up.
Security Forces Respond
Airport security forces were able to record one part of the fight. As you can see in the video, it is possible to notice the fight begins near the departure gate of the flight to Fort Lauderdale.
Many moments of the fight were not possible to be recorded due to blind spots in airport surveillance, according to airport officials.
In one of the video scenes, it is possible to see a boy screaming non-stop at his mother as she attacks Spirit Airlines agents.
At another point in the video, it is possible to see a girl, only 17 years old, pulling the hair of a Spirit employee, at the same time that another employee hits the girl in the head and tells her to calm down.
Harrie the beagle alerted U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers to 23 pounds of fruit in baggage from Rome at Philadelphia International Airport. https://t.co/9O5n5qYqdQ
— The Patriot-News (@PatriotNews) February 6, 2023
The employee assaulted by the girl manages to get out of the fight, when he throws some debris on top of her, only then managing to stop the violent teenager.
Fighting continued elsewhere in the lobby, including a disoriented boy who walks screaming, hits his head on a wall, falls, faints, and cries frantically.
The mother, in a fit of rage, already half-naked, picks up a keyboard in an attempt to hit one of the agents, while another comes behind her, and pulls off her wig.
Charges Coming?
Philadelphia police officials said they were notified of the incident. They said they are investigating those involved and all will be penalized according to the severity of the crime.
Although the fight was extensive and violent, no one was seriously injured.
According to Spirit Airlines, they said they care about the well-being of their passengers and made a point of remembering the company’s motto, which is always to be cooperating for the good of everyone who flies with them.
