A woman was arrested and caused a Delta flight to be delayed because she refused to hang up her phone before takeoff, according to the airline.
Shannon Marie Harris, 46, of Tyrone, Georgia, was taken into custody by the Miami-Dade County Sheriff’s Office last week after her alleged actions forced around 200 passengers to deboard Delta flight 1323.
The April 27 flight was bound for Atlanta from Miami International Airport. Harris was chatting on her phone as the plane was taxiing, and she refused to hang up the call after flight attendants asked her to do so multiple times, according to Delta officials.
The woman became ‘belligerent’ during her interactions with flight attendants, according to an arrest report reviewed by WSBTV.
The pilot eventually asked that she be removed from the plane and returned to the gate so she would be able to get off.
A Delta supervisor came on board and asked Harris to leave, but she refused, so police were called.
A deputy then arrived, also got on the plane and asked the woman to leave, but she continued to stubbornly stay put.
The captain then decided that everyone would have to get off the flight.
Shannon Marie Harris, 46, was arrested on April 27 after she allegedly refused to hang up a call while a Delta flight was taxiing. She is facing at least one misdemeanor charge for trespassing
A video taken by another passenger showed a deputy get on the plane and ask Harris to leave after flight attendants had reportedly already asked her to do so multiple times
The incident took place on Delta flight 1323. The captain ordered everyone off the plane after Harris allegedly refused to deboard. A Delta flight is pictured taking off (stock image)
A video taken by another passenger showed dozens of travelers moaning and complaining after the announcement that they would all have to deboard was made.
Harris finally got up to leave the plane along with the rest of the passengers, and she was arrested at the gate.
She is now facing at least one misdemeanor trespassing charge, according to arrest records reviewed by WSBTV.
The plane did eventually take off after Harris was arrested, but the flight was delayed by about an hour.
‘The safety of our customers and crew comes before all else, and Delta has zero tolerance for disruptive behavior,’ a Delta spokesperson told the Daily Mail. ‘We apologize to our customers for this experience and delay in their travels.’
In the video taken by another passenger, a man who was seated near Harris could be seen attempting to reason with the woman and get her to leave the flight.
‘There’s over 100 plus people. They’re catching flights. They’re going to see their families, their kids,’ the unidentified man could be heard telling her.
As he spoke, another passenger could be heard saying, ‘Please be considerate. Please be considerate. Consider yourself and the rest of us.’
The flight was taxiing at Miami International Airport (pictured) and was bound for Atlanta. The plane was carrying about 200 passengers
Another moment in the video showed passengers chanting ‘get off the plane,’ as frustration grew and people became more agitated. When the deputy arrived, travelers could be heard clapping.
When it was announced that everyone would have to deboard, a chorus of people saying ‘aww’ could be heard. One man loudly said: ‘So we’re all supposed to listen and [she] doesn’t?’
Throughout the video, flight attendants could be heard asking the passengers to ‘remain calm.’
Harris was released from jail on a $500 bond, and she is scheduled to appear in court on May 15.
According to Florida law, trespassing on a plane where there are other people on board is a first-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.
The Daily Mail has reached out to Delta for comment.
