Chris Christie’s niece, 25, has been arrested and accused of biting an officer on a Spirit Airlines flight after she accused the Latino family of “smuggling cocaine”.
- Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s niece was thrown from a plane after she accused a Latino family of “smuggling cocaine”.
- New Orleans authorities say Shannon Epstein, 25, then became combative on board the flight back to New Jersey, injuring six sheriff’s deputies
- One officer was reportedly bitten during the altercation, while others were kicked in the groin or spat on
- Meanwhile, she is said to have threatened MPs that her uncle was friends with former President Donald Trump and that she knew important people
- Epstein was released from prison after posting bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on January 23
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s niece has been arrested and dragged off a plane after allegedly accusing a Latino family of “cocaine smuggling.”
Authorities say Shannon Epstein, 25, then became combative on board the 6am Spirit Airlines flight from New Orleans to New Jersey – and injured six sheriff’s deputies, one of whom was bitten in the altercation.
She even threatened officers who were trying to get her off the plane and said her uncle is friends with former President Donald Trump and that she knows some powerful people, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman Captain Jason Rivarde told NOLA .com
Epstein eventually had to be handcuffed to a wheelchair by seven different sheriff’s deputies in order to be forced off the plane, he said.
She is now charged with six counts of assaulting a police officer, three counts of disturbing the peace, one count of resisting violent arrest and one count of whereabouts after a ban.
The foul-mouthed niece was released from Jefferson Parish Correction Center on Thanksgiving Day after posting $10,750 bail. She is scheduled to appear in court again on January 23.
Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s niece was thrown from a plane after she accused a Latino family of “smuggling cocaine” and biting a sheriff’s deputy, authorities say. The former governor is pictured here at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership meeting in Las Vegas, Nevada last month
She allegedly threatened local sheriff’s deputies and said her uncle was friends with former President Donald Trump and that she knew some important people
Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman Capt. Jason Rivarde recounted how it took seven lawmakers to handcuff them to a wheelchair and force them off a plane in New Orleans
According to Rivarde, the whole situation started when Epstein got angry and disrupted aboard the Thanksgiving Day flight, asking a family who appeared to be Latinos if they were “smuggling cocaine.”
Airline employees soon decided to remove her from the plane, which had already cleared the gate at Louis Armstrong International Airport, but she reportedly refused to leave after the plane returned to the tarmac.
Epstein then reportedly became “extremely combative” when approached by Jefferson Parish sheriff’s deputies and injured six while resisting arrest, including biting one on the arm and breaking his skin.
She allegedly kicked others in the groin and spat on others, NOLA.com reports, while yelling at them that they would lose their jobs or end up in jail because her uncle is friends with former President Donald Trump and she is friends with some important people knows.
The MPs were treated for their injuries at the scene while seven others worked to handcuff Epstein to a wheelchair to force her off.
When she was driven away, Rivarde said she continued to yell vulgarities and try to bite other MPs.
The former New Jersey governor has yet to comment on the altercation.