(UnitedVoice.com) – The atmosphere at airports can be tense sometimes. Travelers are stressed and trying to get to their final destination. Occasionally, tempers flare, and violence erupts. That’s what happened in Chicago recently.
On Monday, May 22, a fight broke out in the baggage claim area at O’Hare International Airport. According to authorities, an altercation took place when people were exiting a plane. The parties made their way over to the baggage claim area when the verbal altercation devolved into a full-on brawl.
A video of the incident showed multiple fights taking place at the same time. Women were pulling each other’s hair, men were seen striking one another, and everyone was on the floor at some point. Other travelers stood off to the side and watched the chaos unfold; some tried to intervene to stop the battle royale.
Police reported two people, a 20-year-old woman and an 18-year-old man, were both arrested and charged with misdemeanor battery. A 24-year-old woman was injured in the fight after being punched by two others.
Data shows a spike in violent incidents during air travel over the last few years. In 2021, there were more than 5,700 reports of altercations, compared to the typical 100 to 150 cases. Many of the incidents at the time were blamed on public health measures.
As the country resumes normal activities, violence still occurs in the sky and at airports. In March, passengers were boarding a flight at Dallas’ Love Field Airport when suddenly, a man stood over another man and began punching him. Other passengers tried to stop the fight. That altercation happened a day after a man on a United Airlines flight attempted to open the plane’s emergency door during a flight from Los Angeles to Boston. He was also accused of trying to stab a flight attendant. He was arrested and charged with using a dangerous weapon and interference and attempted interference with a flight crew.
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