ATLANTA: A Newnan man has been charged with assaulting a customs officer at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
According to U.S. Attorney John Horn, Jemel Broussard Harris, 38, returned to the United States from the Dominican Republic on Nov. 15.
Horn said he became verbally abusive as he passed through the customs inspection area of the airport.
When Customs and Border Protection officers told him he could collect his belongings and go home, he threw a can of deodorant at an officer, Horn said.
Harris then hit an officer and pulled him across the inspection platform, according to information presented in court. The officer suffered a cut to his head and other injuries.
Harris was indicted by a grand jury on charges of assaulting and injuring a CBP officer.
“This assault illustrates the inherent danger that law enforcement officers face every day while helping to keep our communities safe,” Stephen Kremer, CBP port director for the Port of Atlanta, said. “The safety and security of our officers and of our travelers remains of paramount concern for Customs and Border Protection.”
