Delta Air Lines removed Shannon Marie Harris from a Miami to Atlanta flight after she refused to end a phone call while the plane was taxiing, then allegedly kept arguing as crew members tried to move the flight along. The plane eventually went back to the gate, where Harris was arrested after police said she tried to leave with the other passengers.
Delta said the flight took off about an hour late because of the incident. The airline said Harris ignored multiple requests from the crew to end the call, and a police report said she was asked to hang up while flight attendants were giving safety instructions.
The episode unfolded as the aircraft was headed for Atlanta, turning a routine departure into a gate-side confrontation that delayed everyone on board. An arresting officer said Harris became belligerent, prompting the captain to decide to return to the gate.
Once the plane was back at the gate, a Delta supervisor asked Harris to get off, but she refused, police said. Officers were then called, and officials said a Delta representative decided to have every passenger deplane because Harris would not leave. Harris was arrested after trying to get off the plane with the rest of the passengers and has been charged with trespassing-related charges, according to arrest records.
Delta said the safety of customers and crew comes before all else and that it has zero tolerance for disruptive behavior. The details in the case came from Delta Air Lines and Miami-Dade police reports, which together show how a disruptive passenger phone call Delta crews could not stop turned into an arrest and a delayed departure.