The Atlanta Police Department has reported a violent passenger injured several people on a Delta flight coming in from Tampa, on 23rd December, just two days before Christmas. The alleged attacker ‘Patricia Cornwall’ was “unruly” and hit multiple passengers, as well as airline employees onboard.
Delta flight 2790 reportedly departed from Tampa International Airport at 5:39 p.m. on Thursday, landing at Hartsfield Jackson International Airport. During the flight, the woman attacked people physically, hurting many, to what extent is still unknown as she is taken under custody.
Officials reported, “When the aircraft arrived at the gate, officers were able to meet with exiting passengers who advised that the suspect, Ms. Patricia Cornwall had caused a disturbance while in the air,” adding that, “This disturbance (led) to the injury of fellow passengers and Delta employees. Based on the statements gathered and visible evidence, officers detained Ms. Cornwall and contacted the on-call FBI agent.”
Initially, Police took the violent passenger in custody after hearing statements and evidence from passengers who were traveling with her on the Delta flight. Later, after contacting an FBI agent regarding the matter, Cornwall was handed over in the custody of the FBI, without any further information on the matter. There has been no clear mention of injuries sustained by the passengers and employees of the airline. The case should soon reach its investigative decision, however, as the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland exclusively asked U.S. attorneys that federal crimes on commercial flights should be prioritized in terms of swift investigation and prosecution.
“The Department of Justice is committed to using its resources to do its part to prevent violence, intimidation, threats of violence and other criminal behavior that endangers the safety of passengers, flight crews and flight attendants on commercial aircraft,” said Attorney General Garland regarding in his statement earlier in November.
Some reporters are connecting the incident with a video posted by TMZ, that shows a woman confronting a man for not wearing a mask. The woman is seen striking the man in the video after some altercation between the two takes place. There have been no official reports on whether this incident is the same that took place on the Delta flight. However, many believe it is the same airplane flight, and both the incidents seem to match in days and timings.
Regarding mask mandates and requirements, many airplanes have it just like restaurants that have indoor seating and activity. “We want to make sure people keep their masks on. I think the idea of taking masks off, in my mind, is really not something we should even be considering,” said Dr. Anthony Fauci regarding mask mandates on airplanes due to the high-risk environment of close proximity for a considerable amount of time.
