Chris Christie's Niece Charged After Drunken Airport Brawl: 'Do You Know Who I Am?'
Formal charges were filed Monday against a niece of Republican presidential candidate and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie in connection with a violent incident at the New Orleans airport last year.
Shannon Epstein faces a felony count of resisting police by force or violence and two misdemeanor counts of disturbing the peace by public intoxication, according to NOLA.com.
Charges were filed by the Jefferson Parish District Attorney’s Office in connection with the Nov. 24, 2022, incident.
A report on the incident said that as deputies were trying to detain Epstein, she told them, “Do you know who I am? I’m Chris Christie’s daughter, and you’re so f***ed. You will lose your job over this s***. I know Donald Trump.”
The incident began while Epstein was a passenger on a Spirit Airlines flight from New Orleans to Newark.
As the plane was taxiing, she was alleged to have asked a Hispanic family if they were smuggling cocaine, leading to a decision by the crew to return to the gate so Epstein could be removed from the plane.
That was easier said than done. When deputies arrived, Epstein was reportedly yelling at an airline employee and refused to leave the jet bridge.
While deputies tried to take Epstein into custody, they were spit at, punched and kicked, a sheriff’s office report said. One deputy was bitten on the arm, breaking the skin.
Five other deputies suffered scratches and bruises while taking Epstein into custody, which was accomplished by using handcuffs and leg shackles to confine her to a nearby wheelchair.
She was initially charged with six counts of battery of a police officer, three counts of disturbing the peace, one count of resisting arrest and one count of remaining at a place after being forbidden.
“Throughout her entire interaction with deputies, she repeatedly stated that they would lose their jobs or be arrested because of her familial relationships,” Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office representative Capt. Jason Rivarde said, according to the Daily Mail.
Chris Christie’s niece charged for drunken ‘Do you know who I am?’ 2022 incident at New Orleans airport: report https://t.co/r9xFjthGLv pic.twitter.com/c75Bx7J6xD
— New York Post (@nypost) December 6, 2023
“I heard Epstein berate Deputy Ducos and the two agents,” a deputy wrote in a report, according to the New York Post. “Epstein refused to follow their direction to exit the jetway.”
“Epstein screamed: ‘Are you serious? Do you know who I am? I’m related to some very powerful people and I need to get back on that plane to New Jersey,’” the report said.
The report said Epstein “was belligerent and displayed unusual strength,” that she “slurred her words” and “had white foam coming from the sides of her mouth.”
“By this time tomorrow you will both be in jail,” the report claimed Epstein said amid hurling vulgarities at deputies as she continued to invoke the names of her uncle and Trump.
The report said one officer’s leg was scratched after an attempted kick aimed at his groin.
Neither Epstein nor her uncle has responded to requests for comment, the Post reported.
If convicted on the resisting arrest charge against her, Epstein could face one to three years in prison.
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