American Airlines Suspends Employee Who Told Passenger 'Hit Me, Hit Me' (Video)

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — American Airlines has suspended an employee who was recorded on video angrily confronting passengers on one of the airline's planes. The flight attendant yanked a stroller out of a young mom's hands, according to witnesses, causing her to cry, and then repeatedly said "hit me" to another passenger who tried to intervene.

The new video, posted to Facebook and now seen almost 3 million times, shows a woman holding a baby and crying in front of the plane preparing to depart from San Francisco to Dallas-Fort Worth, and then another passenger confronting the employee he believed to be responsible. Facebook user Surain Adyanthaya said the incident started after a flight attendant "violently took a stroller from a lady with her baby," striking the woman and almost hitting the baby.

This angered another passenger, who approached the front of the plane and demanded the flight attendant's name. When the flight attendant reappears, the male passenger starts yelling at him, saying, "You do that to me and I'll knock you flat!"

The attendant immediately shouts back, and the two get into a heated argument, but no punches are thrown. The woman can be seen and heard crying throughout the ordeal.

When it was over with, Adyanthaya said the woman was kicked off the plane but the flight attendant was allowed to stay.

The video calls to mind United Airlines' violent removal of a doctor who refused to leave an airplane earlier this month. Perhaps sensing an imminent public relations disaster similar to what United Airlines just endured, American Airlines quickly issued an apology online Friday and announced the flight attendant had been removed from duty.

"We have seen the video and have already started an investigation to obtain the facts," the airline stated. "What we see on this video does not reflect our values or how we care for our customers. We are deeply sorry for the pain we have caused this passenger and her family and to any other customers affected by the incident. We are making sure all of her family's needs are being met while she is in our care. After electing to take another flight, we are taking special care of her and her family and upgrading them to first class for the remainder of their international trip."

The airline condemned the actions of the employee, which "do not appear to reflect patience or empathy."

"In short, we are disappointed by these actions," the statement adds. "The American team member has been removed from duty while we immediately investigate the incident."

Image: Screenshot from Facebook video