Overview: Body-camera footage released Dec. 12 shows a March 8 confrontation at a Tampa International Airport shuttle stop in which a United Airlines flight attendant briefly touched a Cayman Airways colleague on the shoulder after asking her to be quiet. Officers cited Florida's battery statute (784.03) and arrested 58-year-old Frederick Fleischmann, who acknowledged the touch. He was released on a promise to appear and the state later abandoned the case on May 16.
United Airlines Flight Attendant Arrested After Shoulder Tap on Colleague; Bodycam Footage Released
GettyA man puts his hand on a woman's shoulder
A United Airlines flight attendant was arrested after briefly tapping a colleague on the shoulder during a dispute at a Tampa International Airport employee shuttle stop, newly released body-camera footage shows.
What Happened
The incident took place on March 8. Tampa International Airport Police Department uploaded body-camera footage to YouTube on Dec. 12 that captures officers interviewing the crew members and the subsequent arrest.
Accounts From Both Sides
According to the woman who reported the incident — a Cayman Airways flight attendant — she was standing at a bus shelter speaking in French with a family member when a male United Airlines co-worker told her to "close your mouth." She told officers the man later tapped her on the shoulder while they were riding the shuttle and said he would "make sure" Cayman Airways fired her.
"Are you racist? Why are you bothering me?" the woman tells police in the footage.
The United flight attendant, later identified in court documents as 58-year-old Frederick Fleischmann, told officers the woman was loudly on the phone and that he asked her to be quiet. He admitted that he "turned around and put [his] hand on her shoulder" and said, "Can you please stop," adding that was the only time he touched her.
Paul Hennessy/Anadolu Agency via GettyTampa International Airport baggage claim
Legal Response
An officer informed Fleischmann that under Florida law a nonconsensual touch can meet the statutory definition of battery. The police cited Florida Statute 784.03, which defines battery as when a person "actually and intentionally touches or strikes another person against the will of the other." Fleischmann acknowledged to officers, "I did touch her."
He was arrested at the airport and released on a promise to appear in court. An arrest affidavit filed in the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court of Hillsborough County, Florida, names Frederick Fleischmann as the defendant. On May 16, the State of Florida formally abandoned the case.
Statements
Fleischmann's attorney, Michael Haworth, did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment. Representatives for the Tampa International Airport Police Department and United Airlines also did not immediately provide statements.
Context and Takeaway
The released body-camera footage offers a rare look at how a brief interaction between airline crew members escalated into an arrest and a legal review under Florida's battery statute. The case was ultimately dropped by prosecutors, but the incident underscores how even brief physical contact in a public workplace can carry legal consequences.
