W hen Hannah Cohen set off the metal detector while passing through the security checkpoint at Memphis International Airport on Tuesday, June 30, 2015, agents of the Transportation Security Administration wanted to perform further scanning on her — but according to her mother, she tried “to get away from them but in the next instant, one of them had her down on the ground and hit her head on the floor.”
Cohen — who is 19 years old and no relation to me, as far as I know — is considered a disabled person, as she is partially deaf, blind in one eye, paralyzed, and easily confused and disoriented, according to what Shirley Cohen tried to tell agents of the Transportation Security Administration about her daughter. Hannah simply did not understand what the agents of the Transportation Security Administration were about to do to her.
“There was blood everywhere”
They were on their way home to Chattanooga after being treated for a brain tumor at Saint Jude Hospital, according to this article written by Wayne Carter of WREG-TV News Channel 3 in Memphis.
Hannah and her mother had been traveling to Memphis for 17 years of treatments — and this trip home was especially significant, as it was after her final treatment at the hospital — but instead of celebrating the progress of her improved health at home, Hannah instead was bruised and bloodied as a result of the incident at the airport. She was arrested, handcuffed, led out of the airport, and spent the night locked up in jail in Memphis while their luggage traveled on to Chattanooga.
“There was blood everywhere”, her mother said after the incident at the airport.
A video of an interview with Shirley Cohen from this article written by Sara Sidery of WRCB-TV Channel 3 in Chattanooga shows the mother telling her side of the story in her own words:
Authorities later dismissed the charges after an arraignment; but a lawsuit was filed by the Cohen family in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee against Memphis and Shelby County Airport Authority; Memphis International Airport Police Department; and the Transportation Security Administration. They are seeking damages in a reasonable sum not exceeding $100,000.00 plus costs.
Should Hannah Cohen Have Made an Appointment to be Treated Humanely?
Sari Koshetz — a spokesperson for the Transportation Security Administration — released a statement which stated that “Passengers can call ahead of time to learn more about the screening process for their particular needs or medical situation.”
FlyerTalk member Boggie Dog opined that “How this young lady was treated at the Memphis TSA checkpoint is beyond the pale. Doesn’t matter if it was screeners, cops, or both. What was done was wrong. TSA’s solution to call ahead is also wrong headed thinking. No one should need to make an appointment to be treated humanely, with respect, and dignity at any TSA checkpoint but that is what Neffenger apparently expects since that is current TSA policy.”
Police or TSA doesn’t matter, both are equally at fault and should be held accountable, personally and the agencies involved.”
A Reminder of a Different Incident in One Respect?
The part of the report where Shirley Cohen claimed that she was kept at a distance by police when she attempted to come to the assistance of her daughter reminded me of an investigation of video surveillance footage back in 2011, which revealed that a female agent of the Transportation Security Administration had allegedly groped the crotch of the 14-year-old daughter of Andrea Abbott at a security checkpoint at Nashville International Airport. Abbott attempted to record the “pat-down” on her mobile telephone, but Jeffery Nolen — an officer of the Nashville International Airport Department of Public Safety — appeared to purposely use his body to block her line of sight to her daughter.
Abbott was found guilty of disorderly conduct after four hours of deliberation by jurors in October of 2012. The 42-year-old woman was sentenced to 11 months and 29 days of probation.
During that incident, the daughter of Andrea Abbot was considered a minor; whereas Hannah Cohen was older than the age of 18. Should Shirley Cohen have risked being arrested by law enforcement officers by being more aggressive about protecting the rights of her daughter? That is a difficult question to answer.
Summary
Assuming that I know all of the facts behind this incident — and I do not purport to know them, as I suspect that there is more to the story — the agents of the Transportation Security Administration who were involved in this incident should have used better judgment. While they had no idea of the physical condition of Hannah Cohen, I cannot imagine a scenario requiring the use of excessive force on a woman who is 19 years of age — unless she was armed and obviously a threat to other people.
According to the lawsuit, Hannah Cohen carried no contraband or weapon at the time of the incident.
If the incident occurred as the media is reporting it, I believe that the family should have sought more than $100,000.00, as I have no idea what short-term and long-term damages — emotionally and mentally as well as physically — Hannah Cohen may suffer as a result of what happened on that day last year at Memphis International Airport.
What was allegedly done to Hannah Cohen at Memphis International Airport was inexcusable and did nothing to promote the tenet of safety, in my opinion. Even if she was considered a suspect, there are ways to safely and effectively detain her without causing injuries severe enough to cause her to bleed.
Source: Shirley Cohen.
