‘Blacked out’ Delta flight attendant slashed co-worker in neck during wild night out in New Orleans: cops
A “blacked out” Delta Airlines flight attendant has been charged with attempted murder after he drunkenly slashed a coworker in the neck at a New Orleans hotel, according to police.
Joshua Smith, 36, had been out with several coworkers when they noticed he was “acting strangely” on the way back to the hotel around 3:15 a.m. early Monday morning, according to New Orleans police.
One female co-worker, who was not named, tried to escort Smith back to his room when an argument escalated and Smith slashed the woman on her arm and neck, cops said in a press release.
The woman then fled to another floor at the hotel, but Smith followed her.
A security guard jumped in to help and Smith slashed him on the thumb, according to police.
Police did not say what the weapon was.
The victim was taken to a local hospital for treatment.
Smith was arrested and charged with attempted second-degree murder, aggravated battery, aggravated assault and simple battery, according to police.
Smith’s attorney, Thomas Calogero, told NBC News that Smith and his co-workers had been partying all night in the Big Easy, and the flight attendant had drank so much he does not even remember the violent outburst.
“The group was drinking and he had blacked out,” the lawyer said. “He (Smith) has no memory of the incident at all, nothing.”
“I don’t believe there was an intent to murder,” he added.
A Delta spokesperson told WSB-TV that the airline has “zero tolerance for violence against or among our people and will continue to fully cooperate with law enforcement officials.”