Lezlie Hernandez Zapata is the passenger arrested at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on February 5, 2024, after she was denied boarding at a gate, fled from officers onto the tarmac, and later spat on police and stripped at the airport precinct. She was charged with disorderly conduct and obstruction of law enforcement officers and booked into the Clayton County Jail.1Atlanta Police Department. Airport Incident
What Happened at Gate E1
Atlanta Police Department officers assigned to the Airport Section were called to gate E1 at about 11:55 a.m. on February 5, 2024, for a report of a disorderly customer. The airline had denied Zapata boarding because of her behavior.1Atlanta Police Department. Airport Incident Police did not release her age, residence, or the flight she had tried to board.2FOX 5 Atlanta. Passenger Arrested for Disorderly Conduct After Bizarre Incident at Atlanta Airport
Officers tried to escort her out of the gate area. She refused to get into the police vehicle and took off, running onto the tarmac. Officers chased her down, pushed her to the ground, and placed her in custody.3WSB-TV. Woman Runs From Police on Atlanta Airport Tarmac, Spits on Them, Strips, Pees on Herself
At the Airport Precinct
Emergency Medical Services evaluated Zapata at the precinct, found no apparent injuries, and cleared her for transport to jail.2FOX 5 Atlanta. Passenger Arrested for Disorderly Conduct After Bizarre Incident at Atlanta Airport According to police, while she was there she spat on multiple officers, urinated on herself, and removed most of her clothing. Officers covered her with other items before taking her to the Clayton County Jail.1Atlanta Police Department. Airport Incident
The Charges
Zapata was charged with two offenses: disorderly conduct and obstruction of law enforcement officers.1Atlanta Police Department. Airport Incident No assault charge, no federal charge tied to the tarmac breach, and no FAA enforcement action against her has been publicly reported.
Obstruction of a law enforcement officer is generally a misdemeanor in Georgia. The statute includes a felony provision, though: knowingly throwing, projecting, or expelling bodily fluids such as saliva on an officer is punishable as a felony carrying one to five years in prison. Any conviction under the obstruction statute also carries a minimum fine of $300.4Justia. O.C.G.A. § 16-10-24 Whether prosecutors pursued the felony provision in Zapata’s case is not reflected in the available records.
The Video
A bystander recorded Zapata being chased and pushed to the ground on the tarmac. The clip was posted on X by the account @ATLUncensored on February 5, 2024, and had been viewed nearly 400,000 times by the next day.5The Independent. Woman Arrested at Airport After Being Shoved and Spat at by Atlanta Police The Atlanta Police Department confirmed the footage showed the events of that morning.6Yahoo News. Woman Shoved to Ground by Police as She Ran on Airport Tarmac
Case Status and Body Camera Footage
A public records request filed through MuckRock in October 2024 sought all body-worn camera video from Zapata’s arrest. On October 29, 2024, the Atlanta Police Department responded that it was “still checking with the courts to make sure this case has been fully adjudicated” before processing the request. As of mid-2026, the request remained in a “fix required” status with no indication it had been fulfilled.7MuckRock. Freedom of Information Act Request
The reference to adjudication suggests the criminal matter may still have been pending in late October 2024. No public court record or news report has surfaced describing a trial, plea, dismissal, or other resolution of the charges against her.