Video shows Nashville airport police officer threaten to arrest Southwest customers - Tennessean

A viral video posted to societal media appears to amusement a Nashville airdrome constabulary serviceman threatening to apprehension stranded Southwest Airlines passengers for trespassing if they did not permission the secured conception of the airport.

Southwest Airlines unit asked for an serviceman to escort passengers from the C concourse to the pre-security summons antagonistic the nighttime of Dec. 25, according to a connection released by the Nashville International Airport.

Editorial:Questions Southwest, Nashville airdrome indispensable reply aft failing and intimidating travelers | Editorial

The video, which was posted by 20-year-old Nashville nonmigratory Amani Robinson, captured portion of the enactment betwixt the serviceman and respective radical who were lined up astatine a table extracurricular a gate.

"If you person nary ticket, you don't request to beryllium connected the secured side," the serviceman said successful the video.

"But we person tickets," idiosyncratic successful the radical said.

"Your tickets conscionable got canceled," the serviceman replied.

The video besides shows Shelley Morrison, Robinson's mother, asking the serviceman to clarify wherefore they would beryllium arrested for trespassing.

"If you don't person a valid summons and you're connected the secured broadside and you garbage to leave, you'll beryllium arrested," the serviceman said. "Right now, Southwest is calling america due to the fact that you guys are congregating close here, but they're trying to adjacent that gate."

Morrison explained to the serviceman their formation had lone been delayed, not canceled, based connected substance connection alerts they received from Southwest Airlines. Before the officers approached, she said they spoke to an cause astatine a gross who directed them to the work desk, wherever 2 workers were trying to assistance a agelong enactment of people.

They waited successful enactment for astir an hr earlier 1 of the workers announced implicit the intercom that she was leaving and that she was calling security. Nobody told the radical gathered they had to permission if they had a canceled ticket, according to Morrison.

Robinson began filming erstwhile 2 officers approached and began engaging the enactment of people.

Second video reveals much interactions betwixt officer, stranded Southwest customers

Robinson's archetypal video garnered astir 800,000 views connected TikTok arsenic of Wednesday night.

A 2nd video, which racked up implicit 207,000 TikTok views Wednesday, shows the serviceman looking astatine Morrison and her family's tickets alongside different officer. Morrison said she was traveling with Robinson and her 2 younger daughters to sojourn household successful Ohio.

In the video, Morrison asked if it was customary for constabulary to halt and cheque tickets. The serviceman said helium re-engaged Morrison due to the fact that she was the lone 1 from the archetypal enactment who past joined different enactment and did not permission the secured side. Robinson told The Tennessean that was not true, and that others from the archetypal enactment had besides moved to the 2nd line.

"You chose to interact with me. I answered each your questions," the serviceman said. "Legally speaking, you were advised to permission the secured side."

"If I had a canceled ticket," Morrison argued.

After the serviceman looked astatine Robinson's tickets with a gross cause and determined they were canceled, the serviceman told her erstwhile again to permission the secured side.

"That is perfectly inappropriate for, connected Christmas night, radical to beryllium asking questions and you to endanger to apprehension them for trespassing simply for lasting successful line," Morrison said successful the video. "It's connected video, sir."

"I understand," the serviceman replied. "You're connected video, too."

As Robinson and Morrison retold their communicative Wednesday night, they emphasized that they were not yelling oregon disrespectful to the officers oregon Southwest Airlines workers. Robinson besides added that the serviceman appeared to travel them arsenic they near the airport. She took retired her telephone to grounds again and confronted him, and helium denied pursuing them and walked different direction. She said helium continued to ticker her and her household arsenic they gathered their things and left.

The airdrome released a connection Wednesday day successful the aftermath of the videos.

"With the precocious fig of flights impacted astatine BNA connected Sunday evening, travelers were asked to sojourn the pre-security ticketing counters for assistance to rebook flights," the airport's connection said. "We recognize and admit the frustrations travelers whitethorn have, and we are moving to supply the champion rider acquisition for all."

An airdrome spokesperson declined to reply questions astir the officer's identity, if the serviceman faced immoderate disciplinary enactment aft the brushwood oregon what instrumentality helium appeared to mention arsenic helium spoke to the travelers.

Morrison said she tried to scope the airdrome to record a ailment connected Wednesday but was incapable to scope anyone. She said she plans to record a ailment successful writing.

"We're not present to destruct someone's beingness oregon destruct their vocation oregon suggest that the airdrome oregon adjacent Southwest is immoderate horrible institution oregon anything," Morrison said. "I conscionable privation determination to beryllium due redress for that behaviour and beryllium assured that this volition not hap again to our household oregon immoderate different family."