Woman tasered on Spirit Airlines flight after brawl over face masks
Woman is tasered on board Spirit Airlines flight after wild brawl breaks out when she refused to wear a face mask
- Passenger identified as Nyasy Veronique Payne was tasered on board flight which landed in Puerto Rico on Sunday
- Video recorded on the plane shows Payne punching a man in a white t-shirt
- Fellow passengers claimed Payne and her pals had refused to put their masks over their mouths during the flight and were moving freely about the aircraft
- Payne was handcuffed by police before being removed from the plane and taken into custody
A woman has been tasered by police during a wild brawl which broke out on a Spirit Airlines flight because she reportedly refused to wear a face mask.
The incident occurred Sunday on board a plane which had just landed in San Juan, Puerto Rico from Newark, New Jersey.
A passenger sitting near the back of the plane captured video of the shocking fight, which begins with the woman – identified as Nyasy Veronique Payne – screaming at a man in a white t-shirt.
Payne – who is wearing a mask around her chin – punches an airline worker who is attempting to stop a physical clash from unfolding.
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A woman has been tasered by police during a wild brawl which broke out on a Spirit Airlines flight because she reportedly refused to wear a face mask
‘Stop! Stop! Calm down!’ another person on board can be heard screaming, as several other people push and shove in the aisle.
Payne is then seen climbing up and over a row of seats in an attempt to physically confront the man in the white shirt.
The man and his friends throw several punches before an official tasers Payne.
According to CBS reporter David Begnaud, police say Payne ‘provoked an incident by acting in what witnesses called an agressive, hostile, & defiant behavior’.
Payne is seen climbing up and over a row of seats in an attempt to physically confront the man in the white shirt
Other passengers say Payne and her three travel companions had been refusing to put on their face masks and were moving about the plane when the seat belt sign was on.
When the plane landed, flight attendants purportedly called police onto the aircraft to speak with the group.
At that point, another passenger claims a group of men ‘began yelling homophobic and racial slurs’ at Payne and her companions.
One of the men allegedly threw the first punch, which was not caught on camera.
Payne was arrested by Puerto Rico police and taken off the aircraft. She is currently being held in custody.
In recent months, fights over face masks have become an all-too-common occurrence on American planes.
All US airlines state that passengers must cover their noses and mouths throughout the duration of the plane rides.
Spirit is known for its ultra-strict face mask policy, whereby passengers must keep their faces covered from check-in through baggage claim.
Spirit is known for its ultra-strict face mask policy, whereby passengers must keep their faces covered from check-in through baggage claim.
