American woman fined for disruptive airport incident
Published:Tuesday | January 30, 2024 | 12:36 AMChristopher Thomas/Gleaner Writer -
WESTERN BUREAU:
An American woman who was captured in a viral video stripping naked and being restrained by security officers at the Sangster International Airport (SIA) in Montego Bay, St James last Tuesday, was yesterday fined a combined $52,000 when she appeared in the St James Parish Court.
The woman, whose identity has not been disclosed but who is said to be a dentist, came before presiding judge Kaysha Grant-Pryce in a calm and orderly manner, dressed in a black jacket, a white blouse, and black pants. She pleaded guilty to the charges of resisting arrest, indecent exposure, and disorderly conduct.
During Monday’s court proceedings, the woman’s attorney, Mark Williams, assured Grant-Pryce that, contrary to what took place at the airport and despite concerns about her ability to respond to the charges, she was fit and capable to enter a plea.
"She, herself, has always been a high-functioning person, and one who has functioned at the highest level in her profession, but it appears as if she had a psychotic episode that morning," said Williams, while noting that his client was taking medication for anxiety.
Grant-Pryce subsequently ordered the defendant to pay a fine of $50,000 or spend 20 days in jail for resisting arrest, $1,000 or five days in jail for indecent exposure, and $1,000 or five days in jail for disorderly conduct.
According to police reports, on January 23, about 11:00 am, the defendant was in the departure terminal at the SIA, preparing to board a United Airlines flight to Las Vegas, Nevada in the United States, when she began behaving in a loud and boisterous manner as she and another woman got into a confrontation.
The defendant then went on an expletive-laden tirade when security officers attempted to intervene, escalating to her stripping off her clothing and getting into a physical altercation with an officer who tried to restrain her.
After several minutes of intense confrontation, the woman was eventually restrained and was escorted to the Cornwall Regional Hospital where she received medical attention. She was subsequently arrested and charged for her actions at the airport.
Following the incident, a three-minute-long viral video emerged on social media showing the woman’s actions at the airport. In the video, she is seen and heard hurling expletives, removing her clothes and throwing them at onlookers, resisting officers’ attempts to restrain her, and attempting to physically grab one officer before eventually being held down and handcuffed. Concerned persons then attempt to replace her clothing to cover her naked body while she is handcuffed on the ground.
In the aftermath of the incident, clinical psychologist Dr Pearnel Bell criticised the actions of the onlookers who witnessed the woman’s actions, stating that the incident underscored an apparent decline in global empathy and a lack of understanding as to how to address such events.