Newnan Man Charged with Assaulting Customs Officer at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport

ATLANTA - Jemel Broussard Harris has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of assaulting and injuring a Customs and Border Protection officer while at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

“Tragic events across the world remind us that security at airport inspection areas is critical, and customs officers need to fulfill this mission without attacks and assaults as alleged in this case,” said U.S. Attorney John Horn.  “These kinds of disruptions create safety issues for both the officers and other travelers.”

“This assault illustrates the inherent danger that law enforcement officers face every day while helping to keep our communities safe,” said Stephen Kremer, CBP Port Director for the Port of Atlanta. “The safety and security of our officers and of our travelers remains of paramount concern for Customs and Border Protection.”

According to United States Attorney Horn, the charges, and other information presented in court: Harris returned to the United States from the Dominican Republic on November 15, 2015. He allegedly became verbally abusive as he passed through the Customs inspection area of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. When Customs and Border Protection officers (CBP) told Harris that he could collect his belongings and go home, he continued his profane tirade, and threw a can of deodorant at a CBP officer. When an officer approached Harris and asked him to collect his belongings and go home, Harris surprised the officer by striking him. In the struggle that ensued, Harris allegedly pulled the officer across an inspection platform before he was subdued and arrested. The officer who Harris struck suffered a cut on his head and suffered other bodily injuries.

The grand jury issued the single-count indictment charging Jemel Broussard Harris, 38, of Newnan, Ga., on Monday, November 23, 2015.

Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges.  The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.

This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.

Assistant United States Attorney William Traynor is prosecuting the case.

For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016.  The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.