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All-out brawl in O’Hare International Airport baggage claim results in two arrests

May 24, 2023 | | Print Article

What’s a trip to the airport in post-pandemic America if it doesn’t include an all-out brawl involving scores of people?

A video is making the rounds online of a massive fight that reportedly broke out at the baggage claim area of O’Hare International Airport — based on the footage, the combatants’ lack of self-control was equally matched by their lack of fighting prowess.

And while more than a half-dozen people were involved in the b-list brouhaha, only two people were arrested in a conflict Chicago Police said started as a verbal disagreement when passengers were exiting the plane and quickly escalated into violence in the baggage claim area in Terminal 3’s lower level.

At one point, a female participant used her headphones as a weapon before being knocked to the floor by a man who proceeded to punch her, drawing protests from onlookers.

“A verbal dispute while deplaning escalated in the lower level of terminal 3 when a 24-year-old female victim was punched by two offenders,” police said in a release. “The offenders were placed into custody and charged accordingly.”

Two perpetrators, Christopher Hampton, 18, and Tembra Hicks, 20, were arrested and charged with allegedly punching a 24-year-old woman.

The Chicago Department of Aviation released a statement assuring travelers that safety and security are top priorities.

“Safety and security are always the top priorities of the Chicago Department of Aviation (CDA),” the CDA said. “We work closely with all of our federal partners present at O’Hare and Midway International Airports and the Chicago Police Department to ensure that everyone is safe when they are in our facilities.”

“The CDA also ensures that its airline partners have clear lines of communication to public safety resources for occurrences within their leased areas,” the department added.

Public brawls are becoming a regular part of the American tapestry, where not even Mickey Mouse is immune to the carnage. Just last week two families went at it at Walt Disney World when one group reportedly wouldn’t give the other the courtesy of an unobstructed photo in front of a 100-anniversary sign.

Here’s a sampling of responses to the story from Twitter:

Tom Tillison
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