Arizona woman sentenced to prison for assaulting TSA agent at Sky Harbor Airport
PHOENIX - A Glendale woman convicted of assaulting a Transportation Security Administration agent at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport will spend four months behind bars.
The U.S. Attorney's Office says Ma'Kiah Coleman, 20, pleaded guilty to assault on a federal officer inflicting bodily injury in connection to the incident, which happened on April 25, 2023.
Authorities say Coleman grabbed an agent by the hair, forced the agent's head down on a table and punched the agent in the head during the security screening process at Terminal 4's Checkpoint D.
Coleman had to be restrained by several other TSA agents during the incident, which stemmed from Coleman being upset over apple juice that had been taken from her during the screening process, according to court documents.
Woman assaulted TSA officers at Sky Harbor Airport over apple juice, court documents allege
A woman traveler has been arrested, according to authorities, in connection with an attack at Sky Harbor Airport that left TSA workers injured.
In addition to prison time, Coleman was sentenced to 36 months of supervised release. She is banned from traveling by commercial aircraft during her three-year term of court supervision.
"TSA officers are federal employees who work for the Department of Homeland Security to protect the nation's transportation systems," the U.S. Attorney's Office wrote in a news release. "Their primary role is to screen passengers, baggage, and cargo for terrorism threats. Coleman’s actions resulted in the temporary closure of a Sky Harbor Airport Security Checkpoint while law enforcement responded."