A Delta flight attendant punched a co-worker and hotel security guard after a late night and early morning of heavy, “blackout” drinking, officials said Wednesday.
Joshua Smith, 36, remained locked up in a New Orleans jail Wednesday and faces attempted second-degree murder and several other battery and assault charges stemming from the bloody incident Monday morning, authorities said.
Smith and “several other colleagues were returning to their” riverfront hotel when he began arguing with the victim, New Orleans police said in a statement.
“The victim escorted the suspect to his room, after which an argument ensued and the suspect cut the victim twice in the arm and once in the neck,” police said. “The victim moved to another floor of the hotel to seek help, and the suspect followed her.”
A “guard attempted to intervene, and the suspect cut his thumb,” police added.
While Smith was charged with attempted murder, attorney Thomas Calogero said his client should not be charged with that alleged crime once the case reaches prosecutors.
“I don’t believe there was murder,” the lawyer said.
According to Calogero, the call came at 3 a.m. to the end of Poydras Street after a night of partying in the Big Easy.
“The group was drinking and he blacked out,” the lawyer said. “He (Smith) has no memory of the incident at all, nothing.”
Representatives of Delta and the Flight Attendants Association were not immediately available for comment Wednesday.
Calogero said he highly doubts his client will ever be able to work as a flight attendant again.
‘I don’t think so. I mean, I’m sure he’s going to lose his job at Delta,” the lawyer said. “I expect that from him.”
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
