PLT RPT; A320; LGA-MSP-SMF. INTOXICATED PAX WITH HURT LEG MOVED FROM EXIT ROW; RETURNED TO EXIT ROW ON TAXI; VERBALLY ABUSIVE; CABIN CREW INTERVENTION. RETURN GATE. PAX REMOVED.

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FLT XXX WAS OPERATING LGA-SMF WITH AN INTERMEDIATE SCHEDULED STOP IN MSP. WHILE DOING A CABIN CHK AFTER BOARDING AT MSP; ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS RPTED THAT A PERSON WHO APPEARED TO HAVE BEEN DRINKING WAS SEATED IN AN EXIT ROW; SEAT XD. THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT RPTED THIS TO ME. I SUGGESTED SHE MOVE HIM; BUT HE BECAME UNCOOPERATIVE. I SPOKE PERSONALLY WITH THE PAX; MR X. I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD BEEN DRINKING. HE SAID YES. AT THE TIME I SPOKE TO HIM; HE APPEARED TO BE IN CTL OF HIS FACULTIES. HE ALSO SAID THAT HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO HIS SISTER'S FUNERAL AND THAT HE HAD JUST BEEN IN A MAJOR AUTO WRECK. HIS LEG HURT HIM BADLY FROM THE WRECK. THAT IS APPARENTLY WHY HE WAS SEATED AT THE EXIT ROW. I PROPOSED THAT HE SIT IN ANOTHER (NON EXIT ROW) LOCATION FOR TKOF AND LNDG; AND THAT DURING FLT HE COULD SIT AT THE EXIT ROW TO REST HIS LEG. THAT WAS AGREEABLE TO EVERYONE. WE PUSHED BACK; TAXIED OUT; BUT WERE DELAYED FOR A LONG TIME DUE TO HVY OUTBOUND TFC. DURING OUR SIT AT THE RWY 12L DEICE PAD/TXWY COMPLEX; THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT CAME UP AND SAID THE SAME PAX WAS OUT OF HIS NEW SEAT AND HAD RESEATED HIMSELF AT THE EXIT ROW; CLAIMING THAT WE WERE ALREADY AIRBORNE (WHICH WE WERE NOT). WHILE SHE WAS ON THE FLT DECK; WE ALL HEARD ARGUMENT NOISES COMING FROM THE PAX CABIN. THE #1 LEFT IMMEDIATELY. FLT ATTENDANT #2 CAME FORWARD; SOBBING. SHE SAID SHE HAD AN ALTERCATION WITH THE DISRUPTIVE PAX. I ASKED HER IF SHE WOULD LIKE TO BE SEATED IN THE COCKPIT TO RECOVER HER COMPOSURE; AS SHE WAS CRYING HARD; VISIBLY UPSET. I ASKED FO YY TO INFORM MSP GND CTL THAT WE WOULD NEED TO REMAIN PARKED AT OUR PRESENT LOCATION FOR A FEW MINS; AS WE HAD PAX UP IN THE CABIN. THE BRAKE WAS CHKED SET AND I TURNED THE ACFT OVER TO FO YY. NUMEROUS PEOPLE WERE STANDING -- CREW AND PAX -- AS I ENTERED THE CABIN. I ONCE AGAIN ASKED THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT TO HAVE THE DISRUPTIVE PAX SEATED AWAY FROM THE EXIT ROW. I ASKED THE ARMED CORRECTIONS ESCORT; MR Y; WHOM I HAD INTRODUCED MYSELF TO EARLY IN THE BOARDING PROCESS; TO MONITOR THE DISRUPTIVE PAX WHILE WE RETURNED TO THE GATE. I MADE A VERBAL REQUEST TO THE OTHER PAX AND CREW TO BE SEATED AND TOLD THEM WE WOULD RETURN TO THE GATE. THE SIT WAS CALMING DOWN. AS WE WALKED FORWARD; I ASKED LEAD FLT ATTENDANT #1 TO SECURE THE CABIN FOR TAXI TO THE RAMP. UPON RETURN TO THE COCKPIT; I ASKED THE FO TO REQUEST SECURITY AND A FLT ATTENDANT SUPVR TO MEET THE ACFT; AND CLRNC FROM GND CTL TO RETURN TO GATE X. FLT ATTENDANT #2 WAS STILL VISIBLY SHAKEN; SO I ASKED HER TO REMAIN IN THE JUMP SEAT FOR THE TAXI BACK TO THE GATE. WE PARKED NORMALLY AND ARPT POLICE MET THE ACFT ALONG WITH GND AGENTS. THE DISRUPTIVE PAX WAS REMOVED WITH HIS CABIN BAG. HE WAS APPARENTLY QUESTIONED BY MSP POLICE AND A RPT TAKEN. WHILE WAITING FOR THE INFLT OFFICE REPRESENTATIVE TO ARRIVE (THEY APPARENTLY WERE IN A MEETING); I CONSOLED FLT ATTENDANT #2; MADE AN ANNOUNCEMENT TO THE PAX; AND HAD FO YY COORDINATE OUR FUEL/PAX LOAD WITH MR Z IN DISPATCH. I ASKED FLT ATTENDANT #2 IF SHE WANTED TO CONTINUE ON. SHE ELECTED TO REMAIN IN MSP. WE GAVE A SHORT BRIEFING TO THE PAX ABOUT WHAT HAD OCCURRED; RAN CHKLISTS; AND DEPARTED FOR SMF. I SUBSEQUENTLY LEARNED FROM PAX VERBAL COMMENTS AND WRITTEN AFFIDAVITS THAT ARE ATTACHED TO THIS RPT; THAT FLT ATTENDANT #2 ACTED TOTALLY IN A DEFENSIVE MANNER. THIS PAX HAD MOVED IN A VERY HOSTILE; VERBALLY ABUSIVE AND THREATENING MANNER TOWARDS NOT ONLY HER PERSONALLY; BUT ALSO THE FORWARD CABIN AND COCKPIT PORTION OF THE ACFT. OTHER PAX WERE ALARMED ABOUT THEIR PERSONAL SAFETY AND WERE VERY PLEASED SHE HAD INTERVENED. PAX AND CREW ALIKE OWE FLT ATTENDANT #2 DEBT OF GRATITUDE FOR INTERVENING DECISIVELY. IT IS IMPORTANT TO RECALL THAT SHE WAS PHYSICALLY THREATENED WHILE ALONE. FLT ATTENDANT #3 AND #4 WERE AT THEIR AFT CREW STATIONS AND #1 WAS IN THE COCKPIT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR STATED THAT THE INTOXICATED MAN HAD STARTED PUSHING HIS WAY FORWARD TO HIS SEAT ON TAXI; PASSED BY HIS SEAT AND THEN STARTED HEADING UP TOWARDS THE COCKPIT; TRYING TO PUSH FLT ATTENDANT #2 OUT OF THE WAY. HE WAS THREATENING HER AND THE PAX. SHE FINALLY SLAPPED HIM IN THE FACE. AT THIS POINT; THE PURSER CAME OUT OF THE COCKPIT AND DEALT WITH THE MAN; WHILE CABIN ATTENDANT #2 WENT AND SAT IN THE COCKPIT. WHEN THEY ARRIVED AT THE GATE; THE AIRLINE SECURITY AND POLICE GOT ON TO ARREST HIM. HE VERBALLY ABUSED THEM AS WELL. THE MAN WAS ARRESTED AND SPENT A FEW NIGHTS IN JAIL. THE AIRLINE TOOK FLT ATTENDANT #2 OFF THE LINE UNTIL FURTHER INVESTIGATION. SHE HAD 38 WITNESS RPTS TESTIFYING THAT SHE DID THE RIGHT THING BY SLAPPING THE INTOXICATED MAN AND KEEPING HIM FROM ENTERING THE COCKPIT.