Hearing rescheduled for woman accused of stabbing 3 at Atlanta airport
DAMARIS MILTON
ATLANTA - Damaris Milton did not appear before a judge on Wednesday. Her court date was rescheduled to 8:30 a.m. Feb. 5, 2024. At that time, a preliminary hearing will take place.
ORIGINAL STORY
A woman accused of stabbing an Atlanta police officer and two other people at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is set to appear in court on Wednesday for a bond hearing.
On the afternoon of Oct. 11, officials say 44-year-old Damaris Milton arrived at the Atlanta airport in a taxi. Before exiting the vehicle, she allegedly stabbed the taxi driver.
Taxi driver Selemon Melkamu told police that he picked up Milton, who is from Orlando, Florida, from the Kensington MARTA station. During the trip to the airport, Melkamu says Milton stabbed him in the upper chest near his shoulder while passing the international sign for the airport on Interstate 285 South. She then grabbed his phone and threw it out the window and onto the interstate.
After arriving at the airport, Milton walked into the South Terminal. Police officers and a U.S. Deputy Marshal began following Milton. The woman was then reportedly observed swiping at a Delta employee with a knife.
"Officers engaged the female, attempting to talk her into dropping the knife and working to restrict her movement and move travelers from the area," the Atlanta Police Department wrote on Facebook.
Officers shouted commands to drop the weapon but Milton refused to do so. Officer D. McFarland then tried to stop Milton with his city-issued taser. However, she was wearing more than one pair of pants and it did not make contact with her skin.
Another officer then tried to stop Milton with pepper spray. Unfortunately, he then slipped on the pepper spray and Milton took the opportunity to bend down and stab him in the leg, according to the police report. Another officer then tackled and disarmed her before arresting her, police said.
Woman accused of stabbing 3 at Atlanta airport in court
FOX 5 is learning more about Wednesday’s violent attack at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport that sent three people to the hospital. The woman who police say is responsible, 44-year-old Damaris Milton, allegedly stabbed an Atlanta police officer and two other people before she was disarmed and taken into custody.
Milton is facing four counts of aggravated assault. At her first court appearance on the day after the stabbings, a judge denied her bond.
After she was denied bond and was asked about needing a public defender, she responded, "Y’all already said what y’all are going to do to me, why am I answering any questions?"
A motive for the attacks has not been determined, but police do not believe there is any connection between Milton and the victims.