Chris Christie’s niece arrested over drunken plane meltdown
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The niece of GOP presidential candidate Chris Christie was arrested on Monday for an alleged drunken meltdown on a plane.
Shannon Epstein, 26, was charged with one felony of resisting police by force and two misdemeanour counts of disturbing the peace by public intoxication after an incident that took place on Thanksgiving last year.
Court records show Ms Epstein was arrested for an incident in which she was kicked off a flight for allegedly asking a Hispanic family seated nearby if they were smuggling cocaine, Nola.com reported.
The plane was taxiing to the runway at New Orleans International Airport at the time of the incident.
After the Spirit Airlines plane was returned to the gate to remove Ms Epstein from the flight, she allegedly screamed at airline employees and refused to leave the jet bridge.
Police say they were forced to tackle her to the floor when she became violent and bit an officer’s left bicep and “tore the skin away.”
Even when apprehended, she continued to “struggle against handcuff, kick, spit on deputies, and attempt to break free,” according to an incident report. When asked if she was aware what was happening, she responded: “I’m very aware,” the report added.
The Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office said it eventually took seven deputies to restrain Ms Epstein, who had to be strapped to a wheelchair after she refused to get off of the jetway and showed “unusual strength” while foaming at the mouth fighting the cops.
An incident report said the 26-year-old ranted about knowing Donald Trump, threatened the deputies’ jobs, and asked: “Do you know who I am?” before saying: “I’m Chris Christie’s daughter, and you’re so f*****.”
Six deputies reported minor injuries including scratches and bruises, authorities said.
Ms Epstein was taken to jail on Monday where she was released on a $10,750 bond the same day.
If convicted of resisting arrest, she faces at least one year in prison with a maximum sentence of three years.
Chris Christie is the former governor of New Jersey and is one of five Republican candidates in the 2024 presidential primaries.
