A man from Ohio putting a police officer in a chokehold – while also claiming that the law enforcement officer “could have killed me” – after a savage confrontation at the Spirit Airlines counter at Orlando International Airport, authorities said.
Edward Hairston, 41, was arrested Tuesday night and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, assault on a law enforcement officer and attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, according to arrest records from the Orange County.
The confrontation around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday occurred after officers encountered “a large group of individuals who were becoming aggressive toward and threatening Spirit personnel,” according to an arrest affidavit.
Hairston was among the customers, including one “standing behind the Spirit ticket counter on top of the baggage scale,” yelling at employees, according to the arresting Orlando officer whose name was redacted.
Hairston leaned over the counter, “grabbed the computer keyboard and began pressing the buttons” before the officer grabbed the customer to “prevent him from causing damage to his property,” the affidavit says.
He began to struggle with an officer and allegedly strangled him, according to the report. Hairston “began to squeeze, restricting my airway,” the officer reported.
“I started to get dizzy and immediately had spots because my airflow was restricted and I was starting to lose consciousness,” the officer said in a report. “I tried to free his arm from my neck, but was initially unable to do so due to my semi-conscious state.”
The officer was released when reinforcements arrived and Hairston was arrested.
“It should be noted that while Hairston awaited medical treatment, he said he ‘let me live’ and ‘could have killed me,'” according to the officer’s report.
Hairston was in custody Friday, in lieu of $50,450 bond, Orange County jail records showed.
It was not immediately clear if the defendant had retained or been assigned an attorney.
A representative for Spirit could not immediately be reached for comment on Friday.
