Woman assaults flight attendant during overhead bag argument: Charges

(FOX 9) - A woman hoping to board a flight at the Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) is now facing several charges after an argument about an overhead bid with a flight attendant.

Flight attendant attack charges

What we know:

Priya Swaminathan, 45, of San Jose, California, faces charges of fifth-degree assault, disorderly conduct, obstruction of the legal process and interference with flight operations for an incident that occurred around 9:45 p.m. on June 1.

Overheard compartment argument

Dig deeper:

According to Hennepin County court documents, authorities initially responded to the report of a woman causing a disturbance and yelling at passengers, who had allegedly already assaulted a Delta crew member onboard Delta Airlines flight DL 2089 at Gate C14 of Terminal 1 within MSP.

Charges say that authorities at the scene were told by Delta employees that Swaminathan was informed she needed to put her bags in an overhead compartment, but she refused to do so. 

The employees said that when it came time to close the aircraft doors, and there was no longer any room for her bags, she was told she would need to check them.

Employees say at that point she became angry, and started "yelling while pacing up and down the aisle screaming at other passengers," according to charges. When one airline attendant tried to speak with her, she "charged at her and pushed her with both hands in the chest."

Airline assault and arrest

What happened next:

Authorities who responded say in charges that Swaminathan then refused to leave the aircraft, and was found standing in the aisle and leaning up against a seat between the first and second rows. She then refused to put her hands behind her back.

Officers reported that she had a strong smell of alcohol and refused to walk – instead flailing her body in an attempt to flee from officers’ grasps.

Authorities report she was eventually escorted to a squad vehicle and transported to Hennepin County Jail.

En route, officers say they saw Swaminathan had removed her left hand from the handcuffs and unbuckled her seatbelt.

She refused to comply with commands until she was ultimately booked and processed, according to charges.