According to NBC4, the video was taken during the evening hours on Thursday, March 13th, at gate D12. The video appears to show a frustrated passenger punching a customer service agent in the face. After being hit, the employee falls to the ground. Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority has identified the passenger as 54-year-old Christopher Crittenden, of Frederick, Maryland.
The New York Post reported that Crittenden was embroiled in a 15-minute tirade with gate agents at the airport when his flight was allegedly canceled and another was fully booked. Crittenden attempted to walk onto the jet bridge at Gate D12 inside the airport as arriving passengers were departing a flight.
The unidentified employee blocked the man, who was carrying a bag over his shoulder and wearing a backpack, from accessing the restricted area. Crittenden shouted, “I’m done with this (expletive).” He hurled back his right arm before released a hefty blow.
He as since been charged with assault and disorderly conduct. United said that he is now banned from flying on the airline’s flights. Crittenden was a Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service captain until his retirement in 2021. He is now expected in court next month. Officials allege that Crittenden was also drunk during the assault. As he was being ushered away from the area, he said, “United sucks.”
Richie Johnsen of the Machinists Union, which represents the gate agent and is the largest airline union in North America, said, “My immediate reaction was that I was horrified.”
Johnsen added, “The representative that was assaulted is going to be OK physically. He did have to go to the hospital. He is banged up and bruised.” He said that airport workers face repeated assaults, saying, “This just continues to happen over and over again. What’s it going to take? Is someone going to have to get, I don’t know, hurt so badly that someone finally takes notice of this?”
The FAA has a zero-tolerance policy for this type of conduct. So far this year, the agency said it has received 276 reports of unruly passengers. That figure is down from the same time last year, when there were almost 500 reports. The Machinists Union said the attacks must stop.
They are actively pushing for stronger legislation and stiffer penalties for those who commit such actions. Johnsen said, “It’s gotta be more than just the airlines. There has to be some sort of legal ramifications for these folks more than just, ‘You can’t fly on our airline.'”
In a statement, the union said, “Our members deserve a workplace where they can focus on providing excellent customer service, not one where they fear being attacked by passengers. This latest incident is yet another example of the unacceptable rise in violence against frontline airline workers, and immediate action is needed to address it.”
The union said that violence against airline workers has been on the rise, with “minimal repercussions” for the suspects. The union said, “Any disruptive behavior, whether due to intoxication, aggression, or other factors introduces unnecessary risks to airline operations. The Department of Justice has the authority to take action, and we urge immediate enforcement of existing statutes to deter future assaults.”