A Spirit Airlines employee got into an argument with a traveler that got out of control at DFW Airport. The fight apparently started over a problem with seating on a flight.
Video of the confrontation has now been viewed by millions which shows them both on the ground shortly after she yelled a series of homophobic slurs at him, shoved him and then hit him inside DFW International Airport Thursday.
"I am at the Panda Express, and we hear yelling, and I drop my food. And my instinct is to pull out the camera and start recording," recalled Thomas Shannon.
The professional photographer was the person behind the camera, and he was unsure what sparked the argument.
"How did we get here? Why do we think this is ok?" Shannon added.
According to a DFW Airport police incident report released Friday, the female passenger from Fort Worth became angry during the boarding process.
The Spirit employee told the airport police the woman got off a plane complaining there wasn’t a seat for her. He said he asked the woman to get in line with the gate agent, but witnesses said the woman cut in front of others and became uncooperative.
It escalated further when police said the supervisor tried to take her boarding pass. Another passenger tried to separate the two.
Video shows the woman reaching around the other passenger a few times, hitting the employee in the face. That’s when the Spirit employee rushed her. They both fell to the ground.
Police said she fell while attempting to run after hitting him, tripping over a chair. Once they got up, the employee put his hands on the woman.
"She was verbally assaulting him, physically assaulting him, and he just snapped," Shannon said.
The woman told police she didn’t do anything, claiming the employee pushed her for no reason before the cameras rolled.
Spirit Airlines has since said it suspended the employee while they investigate the situation further.