Slapping another passenger on an airplane is bad. When that passenger is a baby, it’s even worse. But if you go that far in being a terrible human being, might as well throw in a racial slur just in case you hadn’t offended everyone on the plane.

The Smoking Gun has a copy of a court affidavit, written by an FBI agent, regarding a Feb. 8 incident on board a Delta flight from Minneapolis to Atlanta.

According to the agent, a 60-year-old male passenger became so upset with a crying infant seated next to him on the plane that he allegedly told the mother to “shut that ni**er baby up,” and then slapped the child across the face.

The child’s mother told the FBI that her son had begun crying as the plane began its descent. She attempted to calm the child, but could not. This is when the alleged assault occurred.

Her story is corroborated in the affidavit by a male passenger on the plane, who told the FBI that he heard derogatory language coming from further back in the plane. He says he got up out of his seat to investigate and witnessed the baby being slapped.

However, the passenger tells TSG that he didn’t strike the child nor did he use any racial slurs. He did admit to asking the mother to “quiet the child.” He also says he was not intoxicated and only had one alcoholic drink during the flight.

The mother of the child counters this man’s claims of sobriety, telling TSG that he “reeked of alcohol” when boarding the plane and was “stumbling around wasted.” She also says he consumed several double vodkas during the short flight.

The male passenger, who TSG points out was arrested in 2007 following a fight with his girlfriend (he ended up pleading guilty to misdemeanor assault), has been charged with simple assault.

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