A Nashville airport police was caught on digicam threatening to arrest a Black Southwest Airways buyer for trespassing as she waited in line amidst the vacation journey chaos, viral video reveals.
The clip, which has garnered almost one million views as of Friday, was posted to TikTok Wednesday by Amani Robinson, 20, who was amongst a bunch of vacationers who had lined up at a counter exterior of a terminal gate.
“Your Ticket Simply Bought Cancelled” Airline Cop Tells Stranded Southwest Passengers Whereas Threatening Arrest
“When you have no ticket, you don’t must be on the secured aspect,” the officer tells the pissed off prospects.
“However we’ve got tickets,” one of many passengers replies.
“Your ticket simply bought canceled,” the cop snaps again.
Robinson’s mom, Shelley Morrison, can then be heard asking the officer why he would arrest them for trespassing on the airport, prompting him to answer: “in case you don’t have a sound ticket and also you’re on the secured aspect and also you refuse to go away, you’ll be arrested.”
@a.ndreart Me and my household have been making an attempt to go to Ohio and we have been threatened and adopted by this police officer,, lmk if y’all desire a half 2 #southwestairlines #southwest #police #fypシ #foryoupage
♬ authentic sound – A.ndreart
She makes an attempt to clarify to the officer that their flight had solely been delayed and never canceled, citing a textual content message the airline despatched her minutes beforehand.
In one other video shared by former Tennessee State Home candidate Brad Batt, the officer can once more be heard telling prospects “you may be arrested for trespassing.” That video has over 3.8 million views as of Friday.
Nevertheless, the vacationers countered that their tickets are solely invalid as a result of nationwide Southwest flight cancellations, which have left hundreds of would-be passengers stranded over the vacation season.
“You haven’t any ticket. You don’t must be within the secured aspect. Let’s go,” the cop replies.
“Completely Inappropriate” For Officer To Threaten Passengers With Arrest For “Merely Standing In Line”
In Robinson and Morrison’s followup video, additionally posted to TikTok, she continues to problem the officer, claiming it was “completely inappropriate” for him to threaten passengers with arrest “merely for standing the road.”
@a.ndreart Replying to @thequintavious1 Thoughts you we left and went to a different line after we left the primary line. He then FOLLOWED US to this line and picked us out particularly out of a line full of individuals. We weren’t the one ones within the second line that got here from the primary line both. He picked US OUT. Additionally we didn’t know a lot data regarding our ticket and we needed to get readability (like each different buyer) on what’s occurring, which he was making an attempt to stop us from doing up till this level. I do have an element 3, once we have been leaving and he actually follows us and once we ask he LIES and goes a distinct path. #southwestairlines #southwest #fyp #foryou
♬ authentic sound – A.ndreart
The mother-daughter duo advised The Tennessean that they weren’t disrespectful towards Southwest personnel or airline officers.
Robinson went on to say that one officer even adopted them as they left the airport, solely to go in the other way when she confronted him about it.
In an effort to get in entrance of the state of affairs, Nashville airport officers launched an announcement stating that police have been despatched to C-concourse “to escort passengers to the pre-security ticketing counters.”
“We perceive and recognize the frustrations traveler might have, and we’re working to offer the very best passenger expertise for all,” airport officers stated.
Southwest Airways Compelled To Floor Some 14,500 Flights Since Final Friday, Flight Data Present
The officers within the video haven’t been recognized and airline officers wouldn’t touch upon whether or not or not any prospects have been certainly arrested for trespassing.
WOW: Nashville airport cop threatens to arrest stranded passengers who’re standing in line at a Southwest counter to rebook their cancelled flights (1/2) pic.twitter.com/UARLErYdSZ
— Brad Batt for TN State Sanity ✊🏼✊🏽✊🏾 (@bradbatt) December 28, 2022
The passengers had been stranded as a result of lethal winter storm that has plagued a lot of the nation in the course of the busy vacation weekend, leaving over 60 useless and ensuing within the delay or cancellation of hundreds of flights, The Shade Room beforehand reported.
Southwest Airways alone was compelled to floor some 14,500 flights since final Friday, flight data present.
On Friday, the airline deliberate for issues to return again to regular, nevertheless they nonetheless logged 41 cancellations and 99 delays at airports throughout the nation.
Not The First Time Southwest Airways Has Come Below Hearth For Doubtful Racial Conditions
This isn’t the primary time the airline has come beneath fireplace for doubtful racial conditions.
Final yr, a white lady stated Southwest Airways questioned her about human trafficking whereas touring along with her 10-year-old biracial daughter.
Mary MacCarthy alleges two cops and a Southwest worker believed she was a human trafficker when touring along with her daughter, Moira, from San Jose to Denver, The Shade Room reported on the time.