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Nashville airport cop threatens to arrest stranded passengers waiting to rebook cancelled Southwest flights

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An airport police officer allegedly threatened to arrest passengers for trespassing when they were stranded at the Nashville International Airport amid widespread holiday flight delays. In a video, posted on Tuesday by former state house candidate Brad Batt, an officer can be heard saying, “You will be arrested for trespassing.” All around him, a group of dismayed passengers tries to explain that they no longer have valid tickets for the nearby gate because of problems with their flights. “Are… (www.msn.com) और अधिक...

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BruceMcCubbin
Bruce McCubbin 36
This is similar to a situation I experienced flying Southwest into BWI some years ago. We landed moments before an evening thunderstorm hit. There was an understandable delay offloading baggage during the storm. But after the storm passed, and competing airlines resumed offloading and delivering baggage, Southwest hadn't begun. And the baggage office was saying nothing. There was a large crowd of folks becoming more vocal demanding answers when nothing--not even an insincere apology--was offered. The lack of any communication from Southwest was the triggering factor that led to the incident. Southwest dealt with the situation by calling in the MDTA police; an officer stood on a chair, placed his hand on his holstered firearm, and announced that the crowd would be arrested at Southwest's request if it didn't disperse. My incident, and the recent Nashville situation, have the same proximate causes: lack of honest communication from Southwest and an apparently propensity ( encouraged by Southwest?) to call on law enforcement to handle a situation for which they are particularly ill-equipped. Both causes are exacerbated by poor training, supervision, and management by both the airline and law enforcement agency. I can't imagine that calling the police on paying customers who only want what they paid for is a sustainable business model for success.
paultrubits
paul trubits 9
SWA baggage handling at BWI has always been terrible. The other airlines are fine. On a good day expect to wait close to an hour for your checked bag on SWA
TerryMeyer
Terry Meyer 1
Anytime a police officer is dealing with a tense situation, they are train to secure their weapon with a hand. As an auditor for a large law enforcement agency, I experienced this occasionally, but was never shot.
Separately, some of these comments are very telling in a Freudian way.
TerryMeyer
Terry Meyer 1
Anytime a police officer is dealing with a tense situation, they are trained to secure their weapon by placing a hand on it. As an auditor for a large law enforcement agency, I experienced this occasionally, but was never shot.
Separately, some of these comments are awkwardly revealing in a Freudian manner.

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

steveastrouk
Steve Taylor 21
If you were an officer, you should know that sometimes, using your discretion is the best way to handle things
RainbowRiver
Phil Nolden 10
I'm ex-POlice. There's no excuse for being "badge heavy". It's the mark of a lousy police officer.
srobak
srobak 0
Yes, but that's not what was happening in this instance.
srobak
srobak 0
I was an officer. Yes, using discretion is the best way. Okay of that discretion is weighing how much you place your own job at risk by not following the law.
srobak
srobak 0
sorry - PART of that discretion is weighing your career against dereliction of duty.
fireftr
Dale Ballok 10
Ya, “following the law!, but without any consideration or common sense concerning what passengers were going through!
srobak
srobak 1
sorry, but sometimes that is how the job works. it is called "law enforcement" - not "consideration constable".
kevpnw
Kevin Toovey 12
What law was the officer following? Particularly as he had his hand on his gun?
fireftr
Dale Ballok 3
srobak
srobak 0
Trespassing. That was explained in the article. The backstrap is often a resting spot when wearing a holster.
yarnoca1
John Yarno 21
They had already proven they had a legitimate reason to be there. In other words they had proven they were not a security risk. Nothing about their security risk status had changed. Talk about adding insult ti injury.
srobak
srobak 0
This wasn't about security risk.
ChrisCollingwood
Chris Collingwood 32
I wonder how our hero police officer would have coped if many of the disenfranchised (ex-)passengers had opted for that arrest option. At least they would have had to be warmly housed while in that arrest situation, or the hero might have worked out the inhumanity of his claims. Just my 2c worth of foreign input.
rmchambers
rmchambers 18
Southwest botched their operations and to add insult to injury wanted a cop to throw ticketed-but-stranded passengers out of the secured side so they could deal with even longer lines at the ticket counters and then have to go back through TSA... the cop should have told Southwest to pound sand and get their act together.

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

waypoint66
David Rice 5
You are full of crap, as usual. You, and likely the cop on scene, have no idea what the cop can “legally” do. Keep your input to aviation, because you are clearly clueless about law enforcement.
srobak
srobak 1
Ahhh... That must be why I made fto, squad sergeant, shift sergeant, cirt team and academy instructor. Ok.
k1121j
k1121j 18
if they had a valid ticket and went through security then they should not be kicked back to the side of the airport with likely no amenities.... Those gate agents are more them capable of helping the people at the gate what else did they have to do its not like there were any flights?!?
stofer
Pat Barry -9
That's the point. Their flight had been cancelled so the ticket / boarding pass they held was no longer valid. The unfortunate passengers were trying to rebook, yet security wanted them back out in the check in area while an agent sought a remedy.
The experience sucked -- but the weather is an act of God and while it's easy to criticize Southwest this is actually a TSA issue, not the airline.
srobak
srobak -3
Nashville was not under weather issues. Done of the connections were. There were plenty of other inbound flights they needed to tend to save they were short staffed.
srobak
srobak -1
Some of the connections were, and they were short staffed.
floydflys09b
Floyd Taber 12
watkinssusan
mary susan watkins 11
there is an old expression.."when you are up to your neck in alligators,its hard to remember your main objective was to drain the swamp"..that seems to apply to southwest just about everyplace people were and still are stranded..management issues and plain old not knowing how to handle a "swamp" filling up with passengers at all locales,was serious..this officer,although i dont condone him saying he would "arrest" people,was doing what he was advised to do..clear the gate lobby..it was my experience in far less severe circumstances at an airport,to be advised by local supervisors to make announcements for passenegers to return to the ticket counter for assistance, as there were many more agents assisting at that area,than at the gates..in fact,often the gate positions were closed as the agents there were sent to the counter to help..if there are NO flights in or out,the people are NOT going to miss anything as people are NOT automatically rebooked,but must request that service personally,which is what causes the very long lines..passengers are NOT "kicked to the curb"and having to go outside..they cannot however,enter the security /screened gate areas controlled by TSA,if the airport police and the airline personnel advise them of no flights in or out..
NF2G
David Stark 5
The threat had nothing to do with the reason the officer was actually sent. Some people shouldn't have badges.
srobak
srobak 1
This person does and should.
Mike101361
Lloyd Sharp 15
Well, here is the case of an over-bearing, Authority hungry, Unintelligent, Uncompassionate (anything but) peace officer--
Not only should he be fired! But the Idiots that hired him, and put him in a position of Authority, be fired.
This is the exact opposite of what you want a Police officer to be.
Unthinking, and Uncaring
Very sad
jbsimms
James Simms 13
He has ‘Qualified Immunity’, meaning he can pretty much get away w/anything. If by chance, he does get fired, he’ll likely latch onto a local PD not far away or even the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office.

Be glad the local PD isn’t going around looking for ‘Contraband’ & legally seizing it under ‘Civil Asset Forfeiture’.

I’m generally a supporter of Law Enforcement, but the above two issues (‘Qualified Immunity’ & ‘Civil Asset Forfeiture’) needs addressing in the worst way & abolished.
srobak
srobak 2
That's not at all how qualified immunity works. There is a significant burden of proof and evidence that must be present in order for the QI to apply.
srobak
srobak 1
See - this is where knowing only part of the story can make comments like this reveal the lack of depth of some people.

The rest of the story is that SWA was very short staffed at Nashville, had other flights coming in from parts of the country that were not affected by the storm, and was not able to handle the stranded passengers and those incoming flights at the gates. So - the staff started referring people back to the ticket counter to get rebooked, and a bunch of the passengers decided to start raising holy hell & raging at the gate agents. After about enough of that, and the passengers completely unwilling to relocate to the ticket counter - they needed to call for assistance in getting people moved to where they needed to be.

Of course the officer understood the situation and frustration of the passengers - but there is nothing he could do to help that, and the passengers were unwilling to follow the instructions given to help themselves... so - he did what needed to be done, knowing full well he would be the most hated man in the airport, and on the internet for doing so.

He was assigned to the airport for a reason. It is to keep the peace at the airport... a bunch of irate passengers barking at gate agents who are trying to manage the aircraft is not peace. The city owns the airport and the companies that inhabit the airport are the rightful tenants and agents of said airport. If they want people trespassed from part or all of it - then they are within their legal right to do so - and the officer is required to enforce that.

Anything past that is a civil matter between the passenger and the company, and needs to be handled through the company's procedures or civil litigation. Anybody who hangs that on the officer's neck is squarely in the wrong. End of story.
hwh888
hwh888 4
It's South West punishment for being frustrated by what they caused.
RainbowRiver
Phil Nolden 4
As a former law enforcement officer, I have to say, "What a badge-heavy creep of a police "officer this guy is." He should be fired from whatever agency employees him. HE got to go home and sleep while hundreds of stranded passengers had no such option. If I'd been there, I'd have asked him just what the hell he was going to do with his pop gun? Shoot everybody?

[This comment was deleted.]

srobak
srobak 1
having your hand on the holstered equipment around your belt (on your hips) ≠ "grabbing his gun".
srobak
srobak -1
And now we know why you are _former_ law enforcement. Clearly didn't have the chops or legal understanding to do the job. And now you want to blame him for the weather, too? smh...
sparkie624
sparkie624 23
Nice guy... I wish him the same kind of respect and understanding when the tables are turned on him.
manarii
Dr Stephen Vadas 3
Agree - use your head, if available.
rmchambers
rmchambers 4
Doesn't sound like he had that option available.. "Just following orders"
steveastrouk
Steve Taylor 1
The "Nuremberg defence" was found not acceptable
briansfreeman
Brian Freeman 4
Congrats, Steve Taylor, you win the award for "Today's Spurious Correlation."
srobak
srobak 1
That's an incredibly far reach - even for you.
rhkennerly
Rick Kennerly 3
I imagine it wasn't his idea. He was just the airport administration's errand boy. Happens a lot in police work. Mayors, county commissioners, airport administrators send the police out to do the dirty work.
kiwipop
Geoff Arkley 3
Maybe ask the officer "How good is the jail food in this town?"
Imaflyinace
Steven Nolen 3
United actually did very well managing the holiday traffic.
msongy
msongy 19
Read between the lines, people. Not everything is about social justice. They were told they had to go to the landside ticket counter for rebooking. Them staying at the boarding gate when the agent there couldn't do anything more for them only prevented the airline from assisting other travelers at the gate.
srobak
srobak 5
Now now... Don't go trying to confuse the issue with truth and reality. They don't usually like that here.
ymclain
Yolanda McLain 5
It pays to be loyal. Delta, compared to United and American, seems to have updated equipment, fewer mechanical issues, great online support, and excellent baggage tracking. Our first flight was delayed and we just Ms Dear, our Connection, but our luggage didn’t. (12/27). I could locate my bag, still in ATL. I tracked my bag as it was loaded on to the next flight. Filed a claim at the destination airport and baggage was delivered to our hotel, zip tied for security. If Delta doesn’t fly there, we probably aren’t going there.
Imaflyinace
Steven Nolen 5
United actually handled the holiday traffic very well.
Imaflyinace
Steven Nolen 5
Oh, and for the record, United no American froze ticket prices to help stranded Southwest passengers get home. Delta didn’t.
immenranch
david immen -3
I believe you are wrong on that.
immenranch
david immen -3
I believe you are wrong on that.
Imaflyinace
Steven Nolen 5
So according to the cop, every time an airline cancels a flight any of those passengers need to be kicked out of the secure side? He’s totally wrong.
srobak
srobak 1
And it wasn't according to the officer - it was according to the gate agents.
srobak
srobak 1
Not every time - but in this instance they did.
rhkennerly
Rick Kennerly 2
I imagine it wasn't his idea. He was just the airport administration's errand boy. Happens a lot in police work. Mayors, county commissioners, air port administrators send the police out to do the dirty work.
59Captain
M. R. 2
Happy New Year People !
May the sky be blue and you’ll see angels flying by
jetlagged
Martin Weaver 4
Pride goeth before the fall, SW. I had to listen to their pilots' condescending comments for years, and now reality has come home to roost. HaHa! You guys got yours.
GARNC
Greg Ricker 5
When you place the value of your stock price over the value of infrastructure, these kinds of things happen. And will continue to happen.
1skate1
David Purtz -5
And if you don't value your stock price investors will flee driving the value of any company down to pretty much $0, then you will be out of business. Good luck with your economic theory.
regcaton
Reginald Caton 10
If you don't have customers you don't have a business.
CFIND
CFIND 3
Welcome to cattle class. Fly GA. That’s what i try to do.
srobak
srobak 1
Not everyone can afford that.
msetera
msetera 3
There's one cop that needs to be defunded.
srobak
srobak 2
There's one social justice warrior that needs to be de-keyboarded.
jbsimms
James Simms 1
nasdisco
Chris B 1
srobak
srobak 1
perryd1
Dennis Perry 1
I hope that when I next come over the the USA, I manage to avoid South West. We are just retiring and the last thing we need on our flights is an uncaring incompetent airline. SW knew they had a problem brewing and their management did nothing but send a cop who could not cope. Where was the customer service team? What were passengers supposed to do? Build igloos in the parking lot?That is not looking after your customers and not what I normally find in the USA. I already blacklist two UK airlines, BA and RyanAir here in the UK. No service, no business is my motto. Hope SW execs are reading these messages as it has been a PR disaster from this side of the pond. I guess in a few months when the sun is shining, memories will be very short?
srobak
srobak 1
See - this is where knowing only part of the story can make comments like this reveal the lack of depth of some people.

The rest of the story is that SWA was very short staffed at Nashville, had other flights coming in from parts of the country that were not affected by the storm, and was not able to handle the stranded passengers and those incoming flights at the gates. So - the staff started referring people back to the ticket counter to get rebooked, and a bunch of the passengers decided to start raising holy hell & raging at the gate agents. After about enough of that, and the passengers completely unwilling to relocate to the ticket counter - they needed to call for assistance in getting people moved to where they needed to be.

Of course the officer understood the situation and frustration of the passengers - but there is nothing he could do to help that, and the passengers were unwilling to follow the instructions given to help themselves... so - he did what needed to be done, knowing full well he would be the most hated man in the airport, and on the internet for doing so.

He was assigned to the airport for a reason. It is to keep the peace at the airport... a bunch of irate passengers barking at gate agents who are trying to manage the aircraft is not peace. The city owns the airport and the companies that inhabit the airport are the rightful tenants and agents of said airport. If they want people trespassed from part or all of it - then they are within their legal right to do so - and the officer is required to enforce that.

Anything past that is a civil matter between the passenger and the company, and needs to be handled through the company's procedures or civil litigation. Anybody who hangs that on the officer's neck is squarely in the wrong. End of story.
KC3CDU
Timothy Clark 1
Curious to know if anybody has experienced this with say Spirit? You would think with all of the jokes at their expense that this would be a regular thing.
briansfreeman
Brian Freeman 1
Yeah, let's all jump on the bandwagon and rag on the cop!! It's the new American way. Clearly he was at fault for this whole situation... Good grief.
admiral506
wayne holder 1
srobak
srobak 1
you do realize that was dripping sarcasm, right?
SimTech135
Bill Eger 1
Dare the SoB to try it.
srobak
srobak 1
Ahhh - there we go.... so actively challenging & fighting cops is the camp you fall into? Brilliant.
fireftr
Dale Ballok -1
Dude, had some big balls, trying to take on an angry, frustrated crowd, especially since HE was wrong!
srobak
srobak 1
How was he wrong exactly?

See - this is where knowing only part of the story can make comments like this reveal the lack of depth of some people.

The rest of the story is that SWA was very short staffed at Nashville, had other flights coming in from parts of the country that were not affected by the storm, and was not able to handle the stranded passengers and those incoming flights at the gates. So - the staff started referring people back to the ticket counter to get rebooked, and a bunch of the passengers decided to start raising holy hell & raging at the gate agents. After about enough of that, and the passengers completely unwilling to relocate to the ticket counter - they needed to call for assistance in getting people moved to where they needed to be.

Of course the officer understood the situation and frustration of the passengers - but there is nothing he could do to help that, and the passengers were unwilling to follow the instructions given to help themselves... so - he did what needed to be done, knowing full well he would be the most hated man in the airport, and on the internet for doing so.

He was assigned to the airport for a reason. It is to keep the peace at the airport... a bunch of irate passengers barking at gate agents who are trying to manage the aircraft is not peace. The city owns the airport and the companies that inhabit the airport are the rightful tenants and agents of said airport. If they want people trespassed from part or all of it - then they are within their legal right to do so - and the officer is required to enforce that.

Anything past that is a civil matter between the passenger and the company, and needs to be handled through the company's procedures or civil litigation. Anybody who hangs that on the officer's neck is squarely in the wrong. End of story.
lynx318
lynx318 1
Overzealous hic cop, hope he get's sacked for not understanding a situation before mouthing off.
srobak
srobak 1
I have no doubts he understood the situation... but he also understood the gate staff's situation, and the law - which the passengers clearly did not.
gwbinggeli
Godfrey Binggeli 1
sounds most unreasonable.
srobak
srobak 4
waypoint66
David Rice 0
What law are you claiming is unreasonable? Be specific, genius.
srobak
srobak 1
Trespassing people in an airport who are stranded, genius.
Texasgirl
Texasgirl 1
He was trying to get the people to the front counters “Right now,” the officer continues. “To the unsecured side. The ticket counter will help you with any questions you have. You have no ticket. You don’t need to be on the secured side. Let’s go.” People can be handled at the front counters than the gates. He didn't use the right words but use your common sense people!
srobak
srobak 2
Now now - don't go trying to confuse the issue with truth and reality. They don't like that on this site.
jbbooks1
Lewis Tripp 0
Some people on this blog can say whatever they want. When another responds to dumb things they say, they are not allowed to post.

jwmson
jwmson -3
srobak
srobak 4
If he would not have cleared the area he would have been fired. You understand this, right?
waypoint66
David Rice 3
No, he wouldn’t have been fired for not “clearing the area”. Cops don’t get fired for failure to be effective. You are just WRONG, as usual.
srobak
srobak 1
They do get fired for failing to be effective, for dereliction of duty and for not following/enforcing the law. I have fired some of them for exactly those reasons.
gilgraham
gilgraham 1
Send him to the border...
srobak
srobak 0
Why? At the border he would have just waved them in and through.
EtienneDaniels
Etienne Daniels -2
For What, doing his job?
manarii
Dr Stephen Vadas 3
Got to use your head once in a while, if available.
srobak
srobak 6
Need to follow the law if you want to keep your job. He was using his head.
waypoint66
David Rice 1
What law do you think this cop was enforcing? Cite the law, since you keep stating that the cop would have been FIRED if he didn't attempt enforcement. Cops rarely get fired for behavior during incidents like this. As usual, you are just WRONG.
srobak
srobak 1
Trespass.

Considering the passengers were irate and it was quickly escalating to the point of the gate agents ability to conduct their tasks would be impacted, as well as possibly their own safety (SWA passengers have habitually proven to be quite violent towards staff) - if something happened to one of the agents, airport staff or other incoming passengers or their equipment - the liability for that would have hung on the officer's neck.

Officers are often held accountable for their actions or inactions which result in loss or harm - and for such a vital point of infrastructure and with so much and so many that would be impacted - not only would he likely be fired if something happened - but the city/airport would be on the hook for it as well as the police department.
jetlagged
Martin Weaver 0
Pride goeth before the fall, SW. I had to listen to their pilots condescending comments for years, and now reality has come home to roost. HaHa! You guys got yours.
Justthefacs
Justthefacs -1
Complain to the TSA / Office of Homeland Security (everywhere but the border). They make the rules and the officer was just following the rules.
srobak
srobak 1
Actually the airport belongs to the city and is their property. SWA is the legal tenant & agent of that portion of the property and they can trespass people from it as such.
florabrands
Flora Brands 0
Hopefully he was dismissed from duty!!
TimDyck
Tim Dyck 1
He will say he was just following orders. Go after the person or people who gave those orders.
srobak
srobak 1
Considering the order was surrounding trespass - which is passed by legislature - then you need to go after the politicians who created the law.
srobak
srobak 1
for what? following the law?

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

PANATIVE
Anne Bracken 3
How do you know if this cop was even FROM the South? Why indict an entire region of the country? I am not even from the South and this type of attitude about it is very puzzling to me.
srobak
srobak -2
That is such backhanded horseshit.
srobak
srobak -6
That is such a backhanded, horseshit comment to make.
Cbsoccerguru2
Charles Boggs -3
It looks like many responding have a problem with police and probably are for defunding police. If he was told by his leader and I expect he was told, he should follow orders. He is not at fault.
flybd5juan
Juan Jimenez 0
I guess this is Southwest ensuring everybody gets a whiff of the stench of their true colors.
stripechases0s
Steve Francis 0
BNA Airport = Bananaville

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

linbb
linbb 5
Um dont think that the comment about handicapped is warranted on here or anywhere else. Think about your statement please. Have been around challenged people who cannot change there life. They do the best they can and should not be put down with a statement like yours.
jmilleratp
jmilleratp 4
There is no moderation here that I know of.
jbsimms
James Simms 4
One nice feature to have that’s sadly lacking, would be the ability to correct typo mistakes in an original post or otherwise.
greerbk
Greer Kemp 4
Wow! Genuinely surprised. This is the first forum that I have found where the author cannot edit their own material after posting.

James thanks for highlighting this, it is a real shock, and frankly should be fixed by those who run this page.
greerbk
Greer Kemp 1
Just posting a reply to see if I can edit it... I always thought you could but I might have been thinking of a different forum.
TimDyck
Tim Dyck 2
I have never heard of any moderators on this site. We just have to learn how to moderate our own posts.
briansfreeman
Brian Freeman 0
linbb - It's rebukes like yours that got us to where we are today - that and handing out participation awards. Life is hard - toughen up, deal with it and stop looking for ways to have your feelings hurt.
btweston
btweston -3
Thank you, Lord Windowlicker.

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

[This comment has been downvoted. Show anyway.]

srobak
srobak 1
There are no moderators.

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