A United Airlines flight attendant found himself under arrest earlier this year following a confrontation with another airline worker, an incident now detailed in newly released police body camera footage. The altercation, which escalated from a verbal dispute to a physical touch, led to a misdemeanor battery charge under Florida's strict laws.
The Airport Confrontation That Led to an Arrest
The incident took place on March 8 at Tampa International Airport. According to court documents obtained by People magazine, the United employee, 58-year-old Frederick Fleischmann, encountered a worker for Cayman Airways at an employee shuttle bus stop. The situation began when the Cayman Airways employee was speaking loudly on her mobile phone in French while waiting for transport.
In footage later published by the New York Post, the woman told responding officers that Fleischmann told her to "close your mouth" before the bus arrived. She perceived this as rude and potentially racially insensitive. "He said it’s my last week here. Trump is gonna deport me," the woman reported to the police, adding that she challenged him by asking, "Are you racist? Why are you bothering me?"
Escalation on the Shuttle and the Defining Touch
The dispute intensified once both individuals boarded the employee shuttle. In the bodycam video, Fleischmann admitted to officers that he tapped the woman on the shoulder while asking her to lower her voice. He also allegedly threatened to have her fired from her job.
Fleischmann gave his version of events to police just before he was due to board a United flight. "She calls me a racist over and over and over," he stated. "She flips me off with her fingers, she tells me to go f*** myself, and I said, ‘All we need is quiet in the shelter.’" He clarified his physical contact, saying, "I did turn around and put my hand on her shoulder, and I said, ‘Can you please stop?’ And that was the only time I touched her."
Florida Law and the Case's Unexpected Conclusion
It was this single touch that led to his arrest. A Tampa International Airport Police officer explained to Fleischmann that under Florida statute, any intentional and unwanted physical contact can legally constitute battery. "That’s technically a battery, just so you know," the officer informed him.
The officers proceeded to arrest Fleischmann on a misdemeanor battery charge and removed him from his flight. As they escorted him away, one officer noted, "If you wouldn't even have touched her, we just would have left it as verbal." Fleischmann was later released pending a court appearance.
However, the case took a decisive turn on May 16. Prosecutors in the State of Florida formally dropped the charges, abandoning the case against the United Airlines flight attendant.
