Originally Posted by
studentff
The article states she was "shoved" away from the checkpoint, not "escorted," and she was without her personal property or even her ID and shoes. What's she supposed to do, grab a taxi and go home with no shoes, wallet, or phone? Walk home in stocking feet on hot asphalt roads? This really is becoming more and more of a police state.
In the vast majority of this type of case I read about, the TSA and/or cop seem to escalate the situation by making unreasonable demands (i.e., shut up, stop asking questions, give up non-WEI personal property, or leave the airport without your wallet, shoes, or ID) in what seems to be an effort to egg the person on to behavior that can be used to justify arrest.
In the past, peace officers seemed to be trained to de-escalate situations. E.g., in this case "ma'am, why don't you and the TSM continue your discussion over here away from the screening line," or "Mr. TSM, she's not refusing to be screened, please screen her and let her on her way." But now that they are LEOs instead of peace officers, they just want to escalate and arrest.
I agree it was handled badly and have already stated I believe at least one of the cops is guilty of police brutality (based on the facts presented). However, the fact remains that this was when she should have said "OK, just let me get my shoes/belongings, you don't need to shove me" instead of sitting down. Her penny/pound statement implies that the goal was not to retrieve her stuff but to make a point. And while I agree wholeheartedly with that point I also understand why at that moment it became disorderly conduct in the eyes of the law (regardless of how the police had and would behave).