Originally Posted by
TheGolfWidow
So why was she "advised" to put her phone away? Was that just a suggestion that she was free to take or leave?
Sound to me like the arresting officer set herself up for a 1st Amendment civil rights lawsuit.
SgtScott31, it really is too bad that there have been multiple incidents of BNA police trying to suppress First Amendment rights. Is there any chance of getting the officers trained correctly?
From the affadavit:
After her daughter was screened TSA advised Abbott would have to be screened as well to continue down the concourse. Abbott stated this was “bullsh!t” and became verbally abusive toward TSA and myself again. I advised Abbott numerous times she was disrupting the screening process and flow of passengers through the area. Abbott refused to calm down. At this time I placed Abbott under arrest for Disorderly Conduct (TCA 39-17-305).
We really need some decent reporting here. TSA successfully screened the daughter, and the arrest had nothing to do with that incident. The arrest was subsequent to the TSA informing the mother that now she would need to be screened, too. Why did they need to screen the mother? That seems to have taken her completely by surprise. Was it punitive?