Spirit Airlines passenger was ‘cussing, growling’ on flight before she was dragged off for viral meltdown

The Spirit Airlines passenger who caused last month’s viral meltdown while being escorted off the plane reportedly broke her teeth and growled at other travelers before police intervened.

Lonnieka Dillard was arrested March 23 by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department due to her strange behavior aboard the California-bound flight, according to KVVU-TV, citing an arrest record.

Police arrived at Terminal 1 at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas around 1 a.m. after a Spirit supervisor requested Dillard’s removal from the plane due to “disruptive behavior and a threat to other passengers.

As the plane prepared to take off, Dillard allegedly “cursed and growled at the other (passengers).”

The supervisor told police she tried to reason with Dillard before calling law enforcement, but the passenger “started yelling at her,” according to the arrest record.

The flight crew on board also told police they saw Dillard “snap her teeth at other passengers near her in a motion as if she was biting them.”

The two agents who first made contact with the Santa Monica, Calif., woman said they “calmly explained” that she needed to collect her things and get off the plane when she broke out into a bizarre rant and refused to come down.

Several officers would end up being involved in removing Dillard from the plane.

Police said she claimed the officers were racist in deporting her, and that she allegedly shouted and made “random, racist statements” to the officers while in custody.

One of the arresting officers reported that Dillard allegedly lunged at one of them as they attempted to handcuff her.

Dillard also allegedly made “a biting motion” toward the officer as he attempted to remove her from the plane, according to the documents.

The outlet also noted that the crew was forced to remove a number of passengers from the plane so officers could “physically escort” Dillard and bring him to a patrol car on the tarmac.

In the viral video showing Dillard’s arrest, she was heard screaming at the officers, “I can’t breathe,” before a flight attendant came over the intercom telling everyone they should “getting off the plane”.

The supervisor told police that Dillard was prohibited from rebooking another flight with Spirit and that airline officials wanted the Santa Monica woman removed from the plane.

Dillard was released after being booked for her antics on board and accused of violating airport rules.

She is scheduled to appear in Clark County Court on May 29.