Hannah Cohen video
Source: Memphis International Airport.

Video Shows Hannah Cohen Being Thrown to the Ground — But…

“Assuming that I know all of the facts behind this incident — and I do not purport to know them, as I suspect that there is more to the story — the agents of the Transportation Security Administration who were involved in this incident should have used better judgment.”

That was what I wrote in the original article pertaining to Hannah Cohen — who is 19 years old and is considered a disabled person, as she is partially deaf, blind in one eye, paralyzed, and easily confused and disoriented — when she was thrown down to the ground after setting off the metal detector while passing through the security checkpoint at Memphis International Airport on Tuesday, June 30, 2015.

Agents of the Transportation Security Administration wanted to perform further scanning on her — but according to her mother, she tried “to get away from them but in the next instant, one of them had her down on the ground and hit her head on the floor.”

As I suspected, there is more to this story.

Video Shows Hannah Cohen Being Thrown to the Ground — But…

Watching the video from the official security surveillance footage of the security checkpoint in question at Memphis International Airport — as provided by The Commercial Appeal in Memphis, along with this article written by Maria Ines Zamudio — Hannah Cohen was eventually thrown down to the floor by a law enforcement officer.

At 2:39 in the video — after what appears to be a lengthy discussion — the law enforcement officer moves in on Hannah Cohen and initiates contact with her. She responds by attempting to push the police officer away, hitting him in the process and escalating the incident. A second law enforcement officer then intervenes, causing Hannah Cohen to flail her arms and attempt to push both of them back as her mother attempts to restrain her, trying to either calm her down or vainly explaining to the police officers why she is resisting them.

Hannah Cohen video
Source: Memphis International Airport.

The hands of Hannah Cohen and one of the law enforcement officers are gripped — until her right hand breaks away and strikes the police officer in the back. He responds by throwing her down to the ground on her back. The other police officer initially attempts to restrain her on the ground; but then pushes the mother away while the first law enforcement officer turns Hannah Cohen onto her stomach so that he can get her hands behind her back to handcuff them as she kicks and squirms violently on the floor. hr hands break free, causing the police officer to once again force her hands behind her back while she resists. The other police officer assists him in subduing her; and the video is unclear as to whether the leg and foot of that second officer comes into contact with her face.

Once Hannah Cohen calms down as the officers finish handcuffing her hands behind her back, an agent of the Transportation Security Administration motions to the mother — who was helplessly watching the entire incident seated several feet away — to come back to the scene, where she sits on a bench. Hannah Cohen is eventually helped up by the two law enforcement officers and quickly escorted away from the airport security checkpoint.

Excluding the lengthy discussion, the entire incident on the video footage occurred in exactly two minutes.

Summary

Were the police officers justified to exert force in response to her resisting them? Perhaps — if only for their own protection, as Hannah Cohen showed amazing strength in resisting them — but then I also wonder if they unnecessarily escalated the situation to the point where it veered temporarily out of control and they used excessive force to reign the incident back under control. Could remaining calm on the parts of all who were involved have prevented the outcome from occurring?

I have no idea what the mother said or whether or not they listened to the mother; nor do I have any idea what anyone said in the video, which had no sound. In my opinion, the key to the incident is what was said — and whether or not anyone listened carefully, as what happened may have been little more than an unfortunate series of misunderstandings.

One can also argue that special dispensation for people who are considered disabled can only go so far if they are on the offensive — and we have no idea if the law enforcement officers already gave Hannah Cohen special treatment in this situation — but the video seems to reveal that Hannah Cohen and her mother were not entirely innocent in this incident, which may explain why they are not attempting to initiate a multimillion dollar lawsuit. Instead, they are seeking damages in a reasonable sum not exceeding $100,000.00 plus costs in a lawsuit was filed by the Cohen family in the United States District Court for the Western District of Tennessee against Memphis and Shelby County Airport Authority; Memphis International Airport Police Department; and the Transportation Security Administration.

We may never know the entire story of what actually happened or who was ultimately to blame — but one thing is certain, in my opinion: agents of the Transportation Security Administration were not involved in the violent altercation as originally alleged; and what was done to Hannah Cohen at Memphis International Airport was inexcusable and did little to promote the tenet of safety, as other methods should have been considered where she could have been safely and effectively detained without inflicting injuries upon her severe enough to cause her to bleed.

Source: Memphis International Airport.

    1. didn’t read his conclusion: “and what was done to Hannah Cohen at Memphis International Airport was inexcusable and did little to promote the tenet of safety, as other methods should have been considered where she could have been safely and effectively detained without inflicting injuries upon her severe enough to cause her to bleed.”
      No evidence of being an apologist. Just him being observant.

      1. Shithead…. did you miss the part about the BRAIN TUMOR, partially deaf, partially blind, suffering from the after-effects of chemo and or radiation therapy????? You are disgusting. I hope you get cancer and go thru everything Hannah had to endure. I did, I can relate, I can empathize, and I can hate you for your callousness and stupidity. Mom tried to explain the situation but all the awficcers knew was their aw-thaw-rit-tee was being challenged.

        1. she was aware enough to know she was being detained and initiated the attack. her medical condition does not justify her attacking anyone.

        2. I have a cousin who was attacked by a disabled person while working as an OT who focused on special ed in a school. The child attacked her to the point of breaking her neck and rendering her permanently disabled, all-the-while the aides and teachers involved acted solely within their legal limitations of how to administer care and detainment of a disabled person. My cousin was in her mid thirties when it happened and will never again be able to work and provide for herself due to it. It’s been fifteen years and she still sees doctors, pain management specialists, and various other doctors weekly to help prevent further physical deterioration. Sorry, but being disabled doesn’t give an excuse to attack. Her mother should have been more proactive in ensuring that the TSA agents were well informed of her disabilities and current physical condition in order to prevent this. TSA has a job to do and unfortunately it wouldn’t be out of the realm of reasonable expectations for someone to fake a disability in order to gain sympathy and get illegal or harmful items through TSA security. She was flagged, they tried to do their job. She attacked them and they responded.

  1. I certainly hope that her family’s lawsuit is successful. These cowardly men should be ashamed of themselves. They had no business grabbing her violently in the first instance, and the fact that this disabled — blind, deaf, physically and mentally disabled, and obviously so — person reacted the way that she did, stems from that wrong. That these cowards then went on to beat up a disabled young girl is a pathetic manifestation of their own weaknesses as human beings. There should be an investigation into how such incompetent, violent, and immoral people could be hired by the TSA.

    1. and another didn’t read the article fully. “…agents of the Transportation Security Administration were not involved in the violent altercation as originally allege”.
      How can any of you be taken seriously when you don’t even comprehend what you are reading?

  2. I certainly hope that her family’s lawsuit is successful. These cowardly men should be ashamed of themselves. They had no business grabbing her violently in the first instance, and the fact that this disabled — blind, deaf, physically and mentally disabled, and obviously so — person reacted the way that she did, stems from that wrong. That these cowards then went on to beat up a disabled young girl is a pathetic manifestation of their own weaknesses as human beings. There should be an investigation into how such incompetent, violent, and immoral people could be hired by the TSA.

  3. I read the article JR Schanzenbacher and just like the author of this article you shouldn’t be allowed to post anything on the Internet. If you don’t have common sense enough to realize someone isn’t a real threat to others, then you don’t deserve any position allowing you to make that judgement!!! I bet when the microwave “dings”, they draw there weapons and slowly open the door and question whatever it is that they put in there!! Please stop doing stories on the Web Mr Cohen as you clearly lack the mental capacity to judge things how they should be perceived!!!

    1. I agree with you Mike Beezel Mr Cohen also wrote T S A employees were NOT involved.
      So why was the person who dragged her to the ground wearing a T S A shirt?
      Reporters always blow it all out of proportion or get it wrong. and he got it all second hand I bet. He failed to interview one actual participant or witness I also bet.

      1. Get your facts straight and watch the video again, Peter Fehlandt.

        The word POLICE — in upper case letters — is clearly on the backs of the two men in the video who manhandled Hannah Cohen. Both were law enforcement officers and not agents of the Transportation Security Administration.

        1. Yeah stupid???? Look at pictures of CBP, ICE, FBI, they have their branch on the shirts/vests, and right underneath says POLICE. Go get your cranium removed from your rectum.

  4. The officers should have heard what the girl’s mother told them, but they were apparently not listening. It was terrible how they behaved, and there are no “buts” about it. The incident makes me actually fear going on or off an air flight. If the metal detector were to go off, i’d be nervous about what they’re going to do to me next, and i’d feel like a guilty party when i’m not, but i’d feel that way because of what they’d do and how they;d behave toward me. And so, probably would you.

  5. I cannot imagine they didn’t hear the mother. These were complete insecure ass holes whose manhood was challenged. Police – of all agencies -need to get a clue about alternatives to immediately becoming as violent as they can possibly be. To me it screams ‘roid rage.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

Join our mailing list to receive the latest news and updates from our team.

You have Successfully Subscribed!