Viral video posted on social media appears to show Nashville airport cops threatening arrest Southwest Airlines passengers stranded Trespassing if they did not leave the secure section of the airport.
According to a statement released by Nashville International Airport, Southwest Airlines officials asked officials to escort passengers from Concourse C to the ticket counters in front of security on the night of December 25.
Posted by 20-year-old Nashville resident Amani Robinson, this video captures part of an interaction between a security guard and several people in line at a desk outside the gate.
“If you don’t have a ticket, you don’t have to be on the safe side,” the officer said in the video.
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“But we have tickets,” someone in the group said.
“Your ticket has been canceled,” the officer replied.
The video also shows Robinson’s mother, Sherry Morrison, asking officers to clarify why they are being arrested for trespassing.
“If you don’t have a valid ticket, are on the safe side, and refuse to leave, you will be arrested,” the officer said. They’re calling us, but they’re trying to close the gate.”
Morrison explained that the flight wasn’t canceled, it was just delayed, based on a text message alert she received from Southwest Airlines. I was led to my desk.
They stood in line for nearly an hour before one of the employees announced on the intercom that she had left and was calling security. According to Morrison, no one told the crowd that they had to leave if their tickets were cancelled.
Robinson began filming as two police officers approached and began to engage the line of people.
A second video further reveals the interaction between the stranded Southwest customer and the police
Robinson’s first video had nearly 800,000 views on TikTok as of Wednesday night.
A second video, which garnered more than 207,000 TikTok views on Wednesday, shows a cop looking at tickets for Morrison and her family with another cop. I said I was traveling with my young daughter to visit family in Ohio.
In the video, Morrison asked if it was customary for police to stop and check tickets. Robinson told Tennessean that it wasn’t true, and the others from the first line were also the second line. said to have moved to
“You chose to interact with me. I answered all your questions,” the officer said. “Legally, you were advised to leave the safe side.” ”
“If I had a canceled ticket,” Morrison claimed.
@a.ndreart Note that after exiting the first row, we went to another row and moved to another row. He then followed us to this line, picking us out of a line especially full of people. We weren’t the only ones who came from row 1 to row 2 either. He chose US OUT. Also, we didn’t know much information about our tickets and wanted to make it clear (like all other customers) what was going on. i have part 3 #Southwest Airlines ＃Southwest #fyp #For you ♬ Original song – Adorito
After a cop saw Robinson’s ticket with a gate agent and determined it was canceled, the cop told her to leave the safe side once more.
“It’s absolutely inappropriate for people to ask questions on Christmas night and threaten arrest for trespassing just for standing in line,” Morrison said in the video. teacher”
“Okay,” replied the policeman. “You are also in the video.”
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When Robinson and Morrison retold their story Wednesday night, they emphasized that they weren’t yelling or disrespecting police officers or Southwest Airlines employees. Police appeared to be following them, he added. She pulled out her phone to record again and confronted him. She continued to watch her and her family pack up and leave.
of Airport issued a statement Wednesday afternoon in the wake of the video.
“The Nashville International Airport Department of Public Safety is working to ensure the safety of all passengers throughout the airport,” the airport said. “Due to the large number of flights impacted on BNA Sunday night, travelers were asked to go to the pre-security ticketing counter to assist in rebooking flights,” a Southwest Airlines official said. We have contacted the Center and requested that police officers be dispatched to Concourse C. , Gates C-7/9, to guide passengers to the ticket counters before security. We understand and appreciate and are committed to providing the best possible passenger experience for all.
USA TODAY reached out to Southwest for comment and notified police.
An airport spokesperson declined to answer questions about the officer’s identity, including whether the officer faced disciplinary action after the encounter or what laws he cited when speaking to travelers.
Morrison tried to go to the airport to file a complaint on Wednesday but was unable to reach anyone.
“We’re not here to destroy anyone’s life, destroy their career, or suggest that the airport or the Southwest are terrible companies,” Morrison said. I want to be sure that there are appropriate remedies for the act and that this will not happen to our family or any other family again.
By: Nathan Diller, USA TODAY
This article was originally published in Nashville Tennessee. Nashville airport police threaten to arrest stranded Southwestern flyers