A woman claiming to be related to former New Jersey governor Chris Christie injured six deputies after she was kicked off a Spirit Airlines flight on Thanksgiving Day, according to the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office.
Shannon Epstein25, was asked to get off the New Jersey-bound flight at Louis Armstrong International Airport in New Orleans on the morning of Nov. 24 after asking a family sitting next to her who she believed were Latino if they were “smuggling cocaine,” Captain said Jason Rivarde of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said.
Epstein refused to leave the jet bridge connecting the plane to the terminal gate and “became extremely belligerent,” Rivarde said. She began to fight Jefferson Parish deputies and wounded six of them – one bit them in the arm and another kicked them in the groin.
During the fight, Epstein told the delegates they would lose their jobs or go to jail because she is related to Chris Christie, the former governor of New Jersey and a friend of former President Trump.
Epstein is the niece of Christie, The Times Picayune reports.
Christie, who ran for president in 2016, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Epstein was arrested and handcuffed to a wheelchair as she continued to try to bite deputies.
Spirit Airlines did not respond to requests for comment.
Epstein was charged with six counts of battery on a police officer, three counts of disturbing the peace, one count of resisting arrest by force and one count of remaining after being banned.
According to Rivarde, Epstein posted $10,750 bail and was released from the Jefferson Parish Correction Center the same day.
It is not clear at this time whether Epstein has an attorney. Her next trial is on January 23.
Colin Sheley contributed.