Apparently that scene (photo) also was included in the video montage at Comic-Con, and evoked the feeling of Ripley blasting the alien out the Narcissus' airlock...
I extrapolate (not always successfully) that the Jockey's are using rapid decompression or sudden total gravity loss to thwart the thief...
But, as you say, maybe not.
It's fun to fanticise, though...