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Airport Police Takedown

By Shannine O’Neill

**EXCLUSIVE**

VIDEO SHOWS how a traveller was pinned down by police officers after an airport altercation got out of control.

Waitress Brenda Garrison (38) from Cleveland, Ohio, USA and Digital Marketer Beken Lominy (25) from Delray Beach, Florida, USA captured shocking video footage of four police officers tackling a man to the ground and handcuffing him after an airline dispute escalated.

The incident took place on June 27, 2023 at Orlando MCO International Airport at the Spirit Airlines check-in desk for departures to Cleveland after passengers were told their flight had been cancelled.

Brenda was with her two children coming back from a trip to Disney World when she met fellow traveller and now friend Beken at the airport, when Beken captured footage of the man being tackled to the ground after he was trying to resolve the issue of their flight at the check-in desk.

According to witnesses, the man touched the keyboard at the desk until a police officer moved his arm and pushed the man, after which the altercation ensued.

Video shows how the man was tackled to the ground by multiple officers and handcuffed, with officers pinning him forcefully and sitting on him, with the man allegedly suffering injury and having to be taken away by a stretcher to receive medical attention.

According to Brenda, the incident began because the man, alongside the other passengers on the Spirit Airline flight 530 from Orlando to Cleveland, including Brenda and Beken, were all removed from the plane twice before the flight was cancelled.

Passengers were upset at how the airline handled the cancellation, so many were captured shouting and expressing their anger at the situation to police officers and airline staff who were at the ticket counter.

The incident escalated with the man getting pinned down by four police officers after a three-minute altercation.

“Everyone that was at the ticket counter from our flight, which was flight 530, from Orlando to Cleveland, was very upset because we were on and off that plane for a total of four-to-five hours,” she said.

“After they decided to deplane us again, they cancelled the flight completely.

“Everyone was upset and the staff members weren’t trying to help any of us with anything.”

The man seen in the video being restrained by police, Edward Hariston, 41, was later charged with attempted murder.

“Edward Hariston and the police officers were the main altercation, of course I was there along with my two daughters, Beken was also present,” she said.

“Edward was just at the ticket counter talking nicely but when he touched the keyboard, the cop moved his arm and then pushed the man and that’s when the altercation started.

“The cop that claims that he should be charged with attempted murder, looks fine in the video. They put Edward on the stretcher and on the ambulance.

“It is apparent that Mr. Hariston made no attempts at the officer's life. The man was unarmed at the time of incident.”

The cancelled flight left many stranded with no help or up-front compensation for the flight as Brenda and her children had to hire a car and travel over 20-hours back to their home as they were not offered an alternative flight home, as well as Beken so he could make the big event for his company that he was flying in for.

“We had to rent a car to get home. We drove 20 hours because they wouldn’t give us flights home,” she said.

“I felt lost and felt like I would never get home and I had my kids with me.

“I was very scared and just shocked.

“It made me panic.”

Brenda eventually received compensation for their cancelled flight, but only after she phoned the airline itself ten days after the incident, which seemed little in comparison to a disappointing end to a fun-filled holiday to Disney World with her children.

“They gave me a refund but only for the plane tickets of the cancelled flight, which was almost ten days after the incident and only because we called Spirit,” she said.

“My kids were very scared, I didn’t know what was going to happen, because anything could’ve happened.

“This was our first time flying on vacation. I never imagined this is how it would end.

“We have driven to our other destinations, after this I think I prefer to drive next time. My kids might never want to fly again after we experienced all this after our vacation to Disney World.”

The Orlando Police Department report confirms officers were called to the Spirit Ticket Counter at approximately 9:31pm due to complaints of the crowd becoming aggressive with the Spirit Airline staff, which escalated to the physical altercation of the police officer and the man in question.

“I grabbed Hariston’s arm in order to remove his hand from behind the employee counter and to prevent him from causing damage to their property,” said the officer in the police affidavit.

“Hariston then grabbed onto my arm and I pushed him in the chest with my free hand in order to create distance between us. Hariston was becoming increasingly agitated and began to tense up in an aggressive stance towards me. Hariston then grabbed both of my hands, with each of his hands, lowered his body, and began pushing me backwards.

“We both fell onto the ground and Hariston put one of his arms around my neck in a chokehold and began to squeeze, restricting my airway, making it unable for me to breathe. I began to get dizzy and immediately spotty as my airflow was restricted and I was beginning to lose consciousness.

“I attempted to break his arm free from my neck but I was unable to do so initially due to my semi-unconscious state. As other officers arrived on scene to assist, I was able to break free of his grip, spun my body around, and laid on his back in order to assist with placing him into handcuffs.”

Spirit Airlines was approached but had not provided a comment by the time of publication.

ENDS