Woman accused of assaulting passenger on flight previously lived in Lee’s Summit

A Brooklyn woman accused of assaulting a woman on a Southwest Airlines flight bound for Kansas City from LaGuardia Airport in New York has ties to Lee’s Summit, according to a background check.

Port authority police responded to reports of an intoxicated passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight at LaGuardia Airport around 1 a.m. on June 17, according to an email from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

In a now-viral video, a woman identified as Leanna Perry, 32, could be seen grabbing another passenger’s hair on a Southwest Airlines flight while verbally berating her. Southwest employees and others held Perry’s arms in an attempt to get her to let go of the victim’s hair.

“Yeah, I’m sorry, I didn’t want to sit next to a (expletive) fat lady,” Perry said in the video.

As employees attempted to restrain Perry, the woman could be seen spitting at the victim. Perry continued to verbally berate the woman.

In a second video, Perry repeatedly yells, “I can’t breathe,” before sinking to the ground and kicking seats in the plane.

Perry was removed from the plane during boarding, according to an email from Southwest.

“We commend our team for their professionalism during the incident,” the email said.

Perry, a resident of Brooklyn, has previously lived in Lees Summit, according to a background check.

According to her website, Perry is a New York City based artist who has worked with brands such as Betsey Johnson, Nicole Miller, MAC Cosmetics and others.

Perry is set to appear for an adjournment hearing in Queens (New York) court on Sept. 3, according to court records.