Selma Blair arrested at JFK after alleged attack on Delta flight crew
Actor Selma Blair, 54, was arrested on Sunday night at John F. Kennedy airport in New York after allegedly attacking two flight attendants on a Delta Air Lines flight from Los Angeles, The Guardian reported.
Officers from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey responded to a call about a physically abusive passenger aboard Delta flight 938, which was parked at the gate after landing. The arrest took place at about 11pm on Sunday, 11 October. Blair was taken into custody and then taken to hospital for evaluation.
Two flight attendants reported injuries. One was taken to hospital for further checks. One sustained a cut and the other a bite mark, according to NBC New York. Air traffic control audio from the flight captured the pilot reporting minor injuries, described as a bloody nose and bite marks, and asking for medical staff to meet the aircraft at the gate.
The case has split into federal and state tracks. A federal law enforcement official who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity said the FBI had issued Blair with a notice charging assault linked to her alleged actions on the aircraft. That federal matter is expected to be dealt with in the petty violations court in federal court in Brooklyn, a lower-level court that handles minor federal offences. No date has been set for an appearance.
Blair was separately charged on Monday night, 12 October, at a court in Queens with two counts of second-degree assault, a New York charge covering intentional injury to certain workers including police and medical staff. The charges relate to alleged attacks on a police officer during transport and a nurse at the hospital.
Charging documents allege that while an officer was securing Blair to a stretcher for transport to Jamaica Hospital Medical Center, she pulled a leg free from the straps and kicked the officer repeatedly around the face, neck and chest. The documents say the officer suffered serious pain and substantial swelling. They further allege that Blair kicked a nurse in the chest while being moved in hospital, causing substantial pain.
A judge set bail at $20,000 in cash or $60,000 bond on Monday night. The next hearing was set for January.
Blair's publicist said she had suffered a medical emergency that led to the alleged conduct. The statement said she received immediate medical attention after landing and is now in a stable condition. A Delta spokesperson said the airline has zero tolerance for unruly or unlawful behaviour, adding that the safety of customers and crew comes first.
