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On Tuesday, January 24, two women were arrested at Miami airport after being involved in a brawl with an airline worker. Footage of the incident, which was recorded on a cellphone by a bystander, has since gone viral across various social media platforms.
In the video, officials at Miami airport can be seen restraining one of the women as she screams at them to let her go. The woman, 20-year-old Makyan Mercer, was the primary accused in the assault on the airline worker. She also appears to resist arrest, kicking out as the police her drag across the airport lobby.
Mercer can be heard repeatedly screaming:
"Get off of me!"
The second woman, 21-year-old Janaeah Negash, can be heard screaming:
"Don't touch her!"
Negash was reportedly arrested soon after for attempting to stop Mercer from getting arrested.
Details of the Miami Airport brawl
According to the New York Post, the incident began at 9:30 at the Frontier Airlines ticket counter, when the suspects were told by airline staff that they were not eligible to board their flight as they had arrived 45 minutes late. The women, both from Durham, North Carolina, were attempting to visit Atlanta.
As per the arrest report, what began as a verbal argument between the women and airline staff escalated into violence, as Makyan Mercer allegedly threw a plastic sign at one of the airline workers, leading her to sustain a cut on her face.
NBC reported in an official statement in which Frontier Airlines addressed the assault:
"We are providing our full support to the injured team member and are appalled by the conduct of the two customers who were ultimately arrested. Both will be permanently banned from flying with us in the future."
Makyan Mercer was charged with aggravated battery, disorderly conduct, and resisting arrest with violence. Janaeah Negash was charged with disorderly conduct and resisting arrest with violence.
Other incidents of violence at Miami Airport
Unfortunately, the recent brawl at Miami Airport is not an isolated incident, as various instances of violence between airline staff and flyers have been reported.
CBS reported that in December, a passenger from Alabama became aggressive with airport staff after she lost her children. In an act of frustration, she allegedly tossed a monitor at one of the officials at the gate. While the airline staff member sustained a minor injury to her shoulder, she remained largely unharmed.
American Airlines released an official statement regarding the incident:
"On December 20, law enforcement was requested at Miami International Airport due to a disturbance in the gate area where a customer physically assaulted a Customer Care Agent. Acts of violence against our team members are not tolerated by American Airlines and we are committed to working closely with law enforcement in their investigation."
In August 2022, a military veteran also assaulted bystanders and airline staff, this time in the American Airlines terminal. The man, who was hospitalized soon after being taken into custody, was described by Miami officials as a military veteran in a "crisis."
