NEW ORLEANS — A couple from Arizona went from the airport to jail Saturday night, after an incident that caused a huge scene at the gate and injured a deputy.
The Jefferson Parish Sherriff’s Office says 36-year-old Jennifer Puglia, of Kingman, AZ, and her companion, 46-year-old William Brandt, of Lake Havasu, AZ, was at the gate waiting to depart New Orleans when the incident happened.
A spokesperson from JPSO says Puglia got into an argument with another woman at the gate, and eventually slapped the woman’s phone out of her hand. Brandt allegedly started a separate incident at the ticket counter.
Things escalated quickly.
In a video of the incident, Brandt can be seen surrounded by multiple sheriff’s deputies and yelling across the hallway to others at the gate. Brandt is seen in the video trying to get away from law enforcement. As two deputies attempt to get Brandt back under control, Brandt grabs one deputy and pulls him down.
At the same time, Puglia is seen trying to fight off another deputy who is trying to hold her back.
Dozens of people are seen standing around the couple and the deputies, some recording video on their cell phones and others yelling.
Two JPSO deputies eventually wrestled Brant to the ground as the crowd around them yells. At one point, Brant has five uniformed deputies over him.
One of those deputies was reportedly treated to a laceration to his hand from handcuffs.
Brandt was arrested and charged with two counts of battery of a police officer, one count of resisting arrest with violence, and public intoxication.
Puglia was charged with interfering with law enforcement, simple assault, and public intoxication.