According to the NY Post, Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie’s niece has been kicked off a Spirit Airlines flight and arrested after she accused a Latino family of “smuggling cocaine” and then allegedly injured six sheriff’s deputies, one of whom she bit.
Shannon Epstein, 25, allegedly caused a dramatic scene on a 6 a.m. flight from New Orleans, Louisiana to New Jersey on Thanksgiving Day. She randomly asked a Latino family sitting nearby if they were “smuggling cocaine,” Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Jason Rivarde told NOLA.com.
Epstein, the niece of the 2016 failed Republican presidential contender, grew angry and was being disruptive on the flight, the local outlet first reported Saturday.
Airline workers decided to remove her from the plane, which had already left the gate, but according to sources, the unhinged Epstein refused to leave after the plane returned from the tarmac, and apparently went into full-blown combat mode when approached by deputies, the sheriff’s office told The Post.
The ex-governors niece displayed behavior consistent with having consumed alcohol and drugs before the early morning flight, cops said in their report.
At one point she “broke free” as officers tried to handcuff her, forcing cops to block her path. She “was belligerent and displayed unusual strength” during the struggle, according to the report.
“Epstein punched me, kicked me, spit in my face, and twisted as she attempted to free herself from my grip,” the officer writing the report said.
Epstein continued to be violent after going on the drunken tirade, cops said, which forced them to tackle her to the floor. She then bit an officer’s left bicep and “tore the skin away.” She also scratched the officer’s left leg as she attempted to kick him in the groin, police said.
Officers were eventually able to handcuff her, but she continued to “struggle against handcuff, kick, spit on deputies, and attempt to break free,” according to the report. When asked if she was aware what was happening, she responded: “I’m very aware.”
“Epstein screamed: ‘Are you serious? Do you know who I am? I’m related to some very powerful people and I need to get back on that plane to New Jersey,’” the report said.
She later screamed: “Do you know who I am? I’m Chris Christie’s daughter and you’re so f—ed. You will lose your job over this s—. I know Donald Trump.”
“Throughout her entire interaction with deputies, she repeatedly stated that they would lose their jobs or be arrested because of her familial relationships,” Rivarde told The Post on Sunday.
Christie’s niece was charged with six counts of battery on a police officer, three counts of disturbing the peace, one of resisting arrest by force, and one of remaining after forbidden, the outlet reported.
She was released from Jefferson Parish Correction Center on Thanksgiving Day after putting up $10,750 in bail. Her next court appearance is scheduled for Jan. 23, the site reported.
