Assaulted While Waiting for Nephews’ Booster Seats at Airport

Jessica Smith shared this post via CopBlock.org’s submit page.

March 30, 2014

My sister’s plane pulled into the gate at 10:10 PM. She and her three young boys flew into SLC from Ohio; needless to say, they were tired! We got the luggage and once we got to the car, we realized we didn’t have the two boys’ booster seats, so we headed back in to get them while Grandma and Grandpa stayed with the boys. By then, it was just before 11 PM. No one was to be found for the airline to help us, and we could not locate the booster seats. The sweet gal working for another airline was helping us as best as she could. In the meantime, we were calling from the empty desk’s phone trying to get help as well.

Calls were being made, pages were being announced over the paging system and nothing. I was writing a note to leave at the desk for anyone who might decide to show up to work at some point. By then, it had been well over an hour and we were still waiting. Then, the desk phone rang for the first time that night, so we answered it. They were shocked to find someone finally at the desk until we told them it was us; they laughed, apologized, and said someone should be there because they did find the boosters. After a bit, the phone rang again. This time, one of the gals we had been talking to laughed, saying it was funny we were answering the phone. Thus far, no one had had a problem with us using the phone.

Then, an airport officer came walking by. He asked what we were doing, so we said we were waiting for boosters and anyone to help us. He asked why we were answering the phone and we tried explaining what’s been going on. He then told us to back away from the counter and stop going behind the desk (we never once went behind the counter). I was irritated that he wasn’t listening and just kept yelling at us to get away from the desk. Finally, I said, “Here,” turned to call the extension we had been talking with, and he grabbed my arm trying to make me let go of the phone. During this scuffle, his ID badge fell to the floor. At some point he let go of one of my wrists and I bent down and grabbed his badge to get his info off it. Then he got an incredibly tight grip on both my wrists and had me up against the glass window. At this point, my sister ran to the courtesy phone to call for the police because all she was seeing was her sister being manhandled by this officer. I threw the officer’s ID badge just so he would get off me. Words were exchanged and a scene was made; unfortunately when the others got there, they treated me and my sister like criminals.

My sister called my dad to let him know what the hold up was. Unfortunately, the airport employee showed up right after all of this to get us our booster seats…thanks for nothing!

The Sgt. was called down and the Sgt. went directly to his officer, talking with him out of earshot for what seemed like more than enough time. He came to me after sending his officer on his way and wanted to hear my “story,” as if I was about to waste his time with a lie. I told him what had happened and, basically, he managed to put it all back on me, saying that I should have listened to the officer when he told me not to go behind the desk and that I should have obeyed his order. Really?! I know of cases where if the girl had not followed the officer’s orders, they wouldn’t have been raped or sexually assaulted in some way.

Anyway, all said and done, the Sgt. told me that I was being cited for resisting an officer and also for disorderly conduct. Are you kidding me?! I’m the one who was assaulted, yet the officer was told to have a good night and I got slapped with two charges of crap. Not to mention, there is surveillance footage that shows it all. Amazing!

I’m all for appreciating our authorities and abiding by the law and all, but when I’m treated like an effing criminal because I’m standing at the baggage claim office for too long waiting for booster seats – sorry, I can’t respect that abuse of power!

I mean, if I was in the wrong, please let me know, but I can’t see where I was out of line. Also, the officer was 6’2″ or 6’3″ and ~220 pounds. I’m 5’2″ and 147 pounds.

Jessica Smith

Assaulted While Waiting for Nephews’ Booster Seats at Airport is a post from Cop Block – Badges Don’t Grant Extra Rights