A 24-year-old TSA employee was driving near the Memphis airort when she was pulled over by a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper. She was asked to exit the vehicle – and she refused when the officer wouldn’t explain why he wanted her out of the car. The trooper “reached into the car and grabbed [her] and threw [her] against the car,” she says.
The TSA screener was arrested and charged with reckless driving, resisting arrest, improper passing and improper lane change. She says she wasn’t drunk or high.
A bystander recorded the video of the stop and her arrest and it went viral. She was fired for violating their social media guidelines – even though she’s not the one who posted the video, it “could reasonably be expected to cause an unwarranted disruption” to the agency’s mission or public trust and so it triggers disciplinary action.
She’d already been working through the government shutdown with her pay paused. Her termination places even her back-pay when the shutdown ends at risk.
I have three main reactions to this:
- The screener was in uniform, even if they were off-duty. So they do still represent the agency.
- If law enforcement tells you to get out of the vehicle, refusing isn’t going to end well even if you’re ultimately right. The officer isn’t going to just drive off when you refuse.
- There’s a certain irony in the TSA employee refusing to follow silly directions from an officer.
At the same time, she may have been pulled over for “driving while black” and her “resisting arrest” largely was comprised of challenging the cop use of authority to pull her over and make her get out of the vehicle. It wasn’t a physical confrontation. Still, and especially in her position, it seems like a good idea to comply now, argue later.
This was hardly the worst airport security traffic stop. At around 1 a.m. on New Year’s Day 2004, the Acting Federal Security Director for TSA at Washington Dulles airport was pulled over by Airport Authority police for erratic driving near the airport. He blew a 0.26 – more than three times he legal limit. In his defense, he argued he was off-duty. However, since the airport was under a “Code Orange” alert, he was actually supposed to still be on duty.
We knew the way this was going when she Refused to get out of the car? How do these people think they don’t have to do one simple thing, and then have all the libs complain about the outcome?
Remember no one is above the law!
Protecting America’s skies, folks!
Gee Jay, I don’t see any “libs” complaining here. In fact I agree with you about the car issue. I also agree about nobody being above the law, though it is too bad that a certain person in D.C. thinks he can incite a riot, impose tariffs, murder people and tear down buildings without following any laws or procedures.
I don’t think driving while black would be as common in Memphis, Tennessee. she was still in uniform and that probably violated some sort of ethics rules.
The number of people that are unaware of Penn V Mimms is astounding.
Thank you Gary for sharing the important travel news, like when TSA employees commit traffic offenses and resist arrest. This will surely help my travel planning in the future. At least the unhinged leftist crowd here gets another chance to connect every random event with their deranged worldview. Pace yourself, toddlers, you got to meter this out over 3 years.
Not great. Gary has the nuanced take. Easy for some of you to say ‘just follow the law’ or ‘follow instructions’ but that’s easier said than done. Many of us drive, and going 1 mph over the speed limit is technically grounds for a stop and removal from your vehicle. Remember that next time you drive.
Chapter 1 I. The Ben Crump book of how to become a millionaire. Resist arrest at all costs. Never ever comply with police officer commands. Have small amounts of drugs in your possession. Have an expired tag and or a history of moving violations. Once the police pull you out of the car, start crying racism even though the officer might be of color as well. After your arrest and when you get your free phone call, make it to 1-800-pay- crump.
Even doctors can contract TDS. Sad.
My father taught me there are three words you say to a police officer
Yes, sir
and
No, sir
If a police officer tells you to exit the vehicle, you exit the vehicle
There are so many people that immediately go on the defensive for the slightest reason. If one is pulled over by the police, just follow the officer’s instructions. When one gets combative, things are going to go horribly wrong. Then, pulling the race card just adds to the misery. Lady, just get out of the damned car when you’re told. Being in uniform, this woman still represents her company brand even though that brand is a federal government agency.Buh bye!
@Coffee Please — If the officer did anything inappropriate, you’d hope the victim gets representation and paid.
@David — How’s your ODS doing?
@Mets Fan in NC — Better be white as a snowflake.
@Mets fan in NC
Your father taught you right. My dad told me the same thing.
@drrichard — We don’t need to use our imagination to guess how some of these ‘folks’ would be posting here if it had been a white TSA screener stopped and forcibly removed by a black or latino cop during #46’s presidency… they’d claim it was tyranny, and likely do another J6… lest we forget how they feel about law enforcement.
No one has said anything about what working for no pay for what appears to be an unnecessarily long stretch does to one’s stress level and could contribute to making a poor choice when confronted with this situation……none of you have never been stressed out and done or said something you regret?
Recall how it went from “Papers!” To “But, we were just following orders.” Interesting how you ‘libertarian’ folks espouse adherence to ‘authority’ now. What could have changed… hmm.
@Win Whitmire — Easier said than done. Surely, no racial profiling, or abuses of power ever happen… *officer smashes taillight* (‘Are those drugs?!’) *throws little white baggie into car*
@Coffee Please — Taugh ‘em…right(wing).
1. No one is above the law…including law enforcement. We have seen too many disturbing videos of law enforcement abusing power. She had every right to ask why she was being told to exit the vehicle.
2. It’s rich that the people on here who support a President advocating for extrajudicial killings wonder why some folks might be weary of law enforcement.
3. Driving to work in your uniform is not the same as knocking off a liquor store in it. False equivalency.