TSA Pats Down 4-Year-Old Girl and Defends Themselves for Doing It
- Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:30pm by
Mytheos Holt
- Print »
- Email »
WICHITA, Kan. (AP/The Blaze) — The grandmother of a 4-year-old girl who became hysterical during a security screening at a Kansas airport says security agents forced her to undergo a pat-down, and even yelled at the child and called her an uncooperative suspect.
The incident has been attracting increasing media and online attention since the child’s mother, Michelle Brademeyer of Montana, detailed the ordeal in a public Facebook post last week. The Transportation Security Administration says its agents followed proper screening procedures.
The child’s grandmother, Lori Croft, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that mother and daughter initially passed through security at Wichita’s airport without incident. But then the child ran to briefly hug Croft, who was awaiting a pat-down after tripping the alarm.
That’s when TSA agents insisted the child undergo a physical pat-down.
Gawker adds more details:
According to Brademeyer, a TSO “began yelling” at Izzy and ordered her to wait for a pat-down. She was prevented from approaching her mother, and told to “come to them, alone, and spread her arms and legs.” Frightened, Izzy screamed “I don’t want to” and bolted. She was returned to the security area, but not before a TSO threatened to shut down the airport and cancel all flights if Izzy was not restrained.[...]
While the pat-down was being administered, Izzy, who “did not want to stand still and let strangers touch her,” was ordered by a TSO to stop crying.
This is how the mother described what happened after the order not to cry:
When my scared child could not do so, two TSOs called for backup saying “The suspect is not cooperating.” The suspect, of course, being a frightened child. They treated my daughter no better than if she had been a terrorist.
Isabella had just learned about “stranger danger” at school, her grandmother said, adding that the girl was afraid and unsure about what was going on.
“She started to cry, saying ‘No I don’t want to,’ and when we tried talking to her she ran,” Croft said. “They yelled, ‘We are going to shut down the airport if you don’t grab her.’”
But she said the family’s main concern was the lack of understanding from TSA agents that they were dealing with a 4-year-old child, not a terror suspect.
“There was no common sense and there was no compassion,” Croft said. “That was our biggest fault with the whole thing — not that they are following security procedures, because I understand that they have to do that.”
Brademeyer, of Missoula, Mont., wrote a public Facebook post last week about the April 15 incident, claiming TSA treated her daughter “no better than if she had been a terrorist.” The posting was taken down Wednesday. Another post said the family had filed formal complaints with the TSA and the airport.
The TSA released a statement Tuesday saying it explained to the family why additional security procedures were necessary and that agents didn’t suspect or suggest the child was carrying a firearm.
“TSA has reviewed the incident and determined that our officers followed proper screening procedures in conducting a modified pat-down on the child,” the agency said.
The statement noted that the agency recently implemented modified screening procedures for children age 12 and younger to further reduce the need for pat-downs of children, such as multiple passes through a metal detector and advanced imaging technology.
“These changes in protocol will ultimately reduce — though not eliminate — pat-downs of children,” the statement said. “In this case, however, the child had completed screening but had contact with another member of her family who had not completed the screening process.”
In a phone interview from her home in Fountain Valley, Calif., Croft said Brademeyer tried to no avail to get TSA agents to use a wand on the frightened girl or allow her to walk through the metal detector again. She also said TSA agents wanted to screen her granddaughter alone in a separate room.
“She was kicking and screaming and fighting and in hysterics,” Croft said. “At that point my daughter ran up to her against TSA‘s orders because she said ’my daughter is terrified, I can’t leave her.’”
The incident went on for maybe 10 minutes, until a manager came in and allowed agents to pat the girl down while she was screaming but being held by her mother. The family was then allowed to go to their next gate with a TSA agent following them.
Croft said that for the first few nights after coming home, Isabelle had nightmares and talked about kidnappers. She said TSA agents had shouted at the girl, telling her to calm down and saying the suspect is not cooperating.
“To a 4-year-old‘s perspective that’s what it was to her because they didn’t explain anything and she did not know what was going on,” Croft said. “She saw people grabbing at her and raising their voices. To her, someone was trying to kidnap her or harm her in some way.”
Popular Stories
Paper Details Obama Admin’s Alleged Secret Note Sent to Iran: If Israel Attacks, We Won’t Get Involved 589 Comments
‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 414 Comments
This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 414 Comments
President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 378 Comments
Roseanne Barr: Most Billionaires ‘Violent Pedophiles’ & ‘Heartless’ Cocaine Addicts 375 Comments
Faith
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 414 Comments
Pakistani Muslim Cleric Accused of Framing Disabled Christian Girl in Koran-Burning Case Read More- ‘Made Up Religion’: TV Historian Enrages Muslims, Receives Threats After Producing UK Documentary Questioning Islam’s Beginnings 414 Comments
Meet the Controversial German Imam Accused of Brutally Beating His Wife & Pushing Sharia Law Read More
‘Self-Proclaimed Messiah’ & Unification Church Leader the Rev. Sun Myung Moon Has Died — Here’s His Life Story Read More
Business
- President Obama Issues Major ‘Green Energy’ Executive Order 378 Comments
- Germany’s Upcoming Court Ruling Will be Huge for the EU Read More
Ford Looks to Beat Toyota for Best-Selling Car in 2012 With This Model 151 Comments
Bernanke & QE3: Here’s What You Need to Know Read More- ‘Extortion’: Why Did the Labor Department ‘Drop the Hammer’ on Oregon Farmers? 303 Comments
Technology
- This Is the Creationists‘ Response to Scientist Bill Nye’s Viral Pro-Evolution Video Claiming They Harm Children 414 Comments
‘TaserDrone’: Hackers Weaponize Quadcopter With Actual ‘Shocking’ Technology Read More
Ever Heard of the Wild ‘Burning Man’ Festival in the Middle of the Nev. Desert? Here’s Your Primer Read More
Stanford Develops Technology ‘Better Than Steroids’ for Athlete Recovery Read More
Have You Pretended to Know What ‘the Cloud’ Is? You’re Not Alone Read More
Submitting your tip... please wait!
Comments (105)
Sr Newk
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:28pmIf it were my 4 year old grandchild, I would have picked her up in my arms and told the TSA agents to go ahead and shut the airport down because I am tired of damn threats. I would have yelled at the top of my lungs as load as I could and told them to Shut It Down you dimwits. What a bunch of damn idiots, this is a 4 year old child for Gods sake, you got to be just dum as rock to shutdown a whole airport because a 4 year old is upset with the search procedure. Whatever happened to common sense.
Report Post »c0mm0nsense
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 10:08pmWe are the ones that are as dumb as rocks for giving our freedom up for security.
Report Post »teamarcheson
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 10:27pmHey TSA, Is That Little Girl Still A Virgin?
America went to war against Imperial Spain, Imperial Germany and Imperial Japan because their officials were do the same thing to little girls. Hey TSA, how much of this do you think we are going to take.
Report Post »dissentnow
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 10:49pm@Commonsense
Report Post »You are right. After 9/11, the average American was willing to hand over every single freedom that they had to the federal government out of fear. Some people still have the “if you aint got nothing to hide then you aint got nothing to worry about” mentality towards the government. I‘m sorry but i’m not willing to give my freedoms away. I would rather live with the threat of terrorism abroad than live with tyranny at home.
glashole
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 10:54pmThis is all they can do, they know they are under scrutiny, it will soon become us against them. Stop paying your taxes, change your withholding, and starve the feds of cash. They will get it and they will understand who has the power. Perverts and wimps = TSA = To Sexually Assult
Report Post »EndTheFedNOW
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 12:20amHey America! Do you like seeing your wife,mother,daughter,son etc being molested by the government? Do like the TSA when they stick their hands literally up Mrs America at DFW airport? Is it ok for the TSA to take grandmas into small rooms and strip search them? My God we are insane. This is 1984. When will we wake up and confront these elites? When will we get back to letting men be the masters of their own destiny?
Report Post »Maji
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 1:50amIt used to be the IRS,till the TSA came along!
But just wait Obama is ramping up the tax “Gestapo” again…They won’t be out done!!
It’s for your own good! Noooo wait!
Report Post »It’s for the greater good!
yathink
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 6:26amSo true Common,
Report Post »Any passenger should be screaming at the top of thier lungs. Thank God I don‘t and won’t use an airport as long as the commies are in them. I shy away from this goverment there dangerous. Another thing, I’d be shying away from multiple passes through the radiation boxs too.
lordjosh
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 6:54amWhy would anyone subject themselves or worse yet, their children to this. There is nowhere so important for anyone to go to justify putting oneselfe through this. Stop flying people. If I was there, there would have been one broken TSA agent.
Report Post »johnjamison
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 7:11amThese useless government nazis would defend giving Jesus a body cavity search.
Report Post »PinTwister
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 7:12amDidn’t our pretend president just declare that the war on terror was over?
Report Post »If so, why does the TSA even exist?
Mil-Dot
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 7:41am@Pintwister
Report Post »The TSA exists as multi-faceted system to brainwash intimidate and threaten a captive group of Americans-one at a time-into accepting and fearing a totalitarian govt. That is why they are there. It has nothing to do with safety or a war on “terror”.
GoMomGo
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 8:41amSr Newk, I would have done the same thing! Let the jerks shut the airport down. Then THEY will have to deal with the backlash from both the airlines and all of the passengers in the airport.
Report Post »208hendrix2020
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 10:00amUnfortunealtly common sense has died… No one has it anymore and no one wants it. so easy to say it has dies.
Report Post »kadster01
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 10:11amUnbelievable. This reminds me of that scene in “Robocop” when the robot didn’t recognize that the officer had put away his weapon and opened fire on him. Except these aren’t robots, they’re real people. Apparently, real people who no longer have the ability to comprehend reality. Ya know, there are so many 4 year old American children who are hijacking planes these days. Gotta watch out for them! Glad I quit flying the unfriendly skies years ago….
Report Post »shotzie
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:21pmThere is a lot in the news that makes me angry but these TSA stories about children absolutely take the prize. Come on America – grow some!! We have GOT to stand up to this and refuse to allow it to continue. Call your airlines and demand a better way. I traveled to Israel with Restoring Courage and had my first experience with the wonderful security of El Al. While in line a polite young woman in an El Al uniform walked up to me and asked for my passport and began what at first I thought was nice small talk. She opened with “do you have any dogs?“ which kind of took me aback but I responded and she asked ”what kind of dogs do you have?”, “what are you hoping to do while in Israel?“ ”how old are your children?”. seemingly unrelated and insignificant questions. But she was PROFILING me. It was so refreshing. Ended with “enjoy your flight and your time in Israel, thank you”. I’m sure there are many PRIVATE companies who would love to have contracts to provide security at our airports – and already have much more efficient plans mapped out to do it. Please take the time to send off an email to your airline of choice – better yet all of them. Flood them with complaints – hopefully if the airlines realize they will be losing business they can put pressure on the government to dump the TSA.
Report Post »Leopold
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 1:17amThis is not about security what the TSA is doing. And they will never privatize this. The unions will never allow that.
This is done to harass the citizen. It is done to give real power to the government. It is done to discourage travel. If unions will be in charge, how long until they find a reason to strike? Then what?
Well, then there wont be any flying.
It is easier to control the masses if they stay put.
Americans will do nothing about this. We are way to selfish. Even though through face book a lot of organizing could be done to take even only one day of not flying. At least greatly reduce it.
Let the airlines feel the loss of income. Maybe then they will put pressure on the government.
People, if Obama gets a second term by 2016 this will be a communist country.
He is comparing himself to real presidents and saying how hard real change is; because he knows exactly what he has in mind for America.
Remember his words.
We are five days away from fundamentally changing America.
Does anybody think he meant food stamps, or cutting the military a bit?
Remember, first nudge, then push and then shove.
Report Post »Mil-Dot
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 7:45amWhen you take a group of Americans who have throughout the history of our country been unable to compete effectively and have been essentially powerless, and give them power, it goes to their heads. Just like when Obama took office. You had literally overnight 13% of the population thinking that they are now running the show and can do anything they want to you with total impunity. Well, in a way, they are right.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 10:54amPort Huron, Michigan… host to the 1962 Radical Convention… must be Empty… for all the Perverts… now seem to work in the TSA!
Report Post »mamabearCali
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:16pmTSA agents you are wicked people. When you assault children remember this life has a way of repaying misdeeds like this in spades.
As a side note….they can’t handle a four year old and hey are supposed to be there to stop terrorists? What a joke. This is not my America.
Report Post »LetsBeSmartAboutThis
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:15pmThe more I heard about the TSA the more creeped out I get.
Report Post »trueamerican40
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:12pmUnited Federation of America…I blame every politician (right, left, independent) for directly and indirectly destroying this country with it’s PCBS. This is the land where the truly good guys are silenced and the corrupt are idolized.
Report Post »marcus_arealius
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:37pmI agree with DON’T FLY. Perhaps not everyone can do this, but please, take a bus, a train, a boat, a mule, even your SUV.. But no airplanes. If the TSA starts molesting people on other forms of transportation, then it’s war. And there are a hell of lot more of us than there are of them. Keep this in mind you perverts at the TSA. Strength in numbers.
Report Post »Paul
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 1:16am“Keep this in mind you perverts at the TSA”
Bingo…
Report Post »Mil-Dot
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 7:49amNo TrueAmerican
Report Post »This is the land where the guys that are SUPPOSED to be the good guys have sided with the govt against the people in exchange for exorbitant pay and pensions. The good guys ARE the bad guys.
ADNIL
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:03pmHow much longer are you going to put up with this BS? Stop flying in protest until the TSA is abandoned. Many have, but not enough.
Report Post »THXll38
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:10pmUnfortunately, for many, they have to fly due to their occupations. I do not fly; however, my wife does, but she is blessed to work for a company that has 5 private jets allowing her to bypass the TSA.
Report Post »GardenoftheGods
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:15pmI agree! I’m on the “I WON’T FLY” List because nothing will be done until the Airlines start to feel a pinch in their pocketbooks. This story made me so angry I could scream… why didn’t they just ask the child to go back through the scanner again…instead they scared the living hell out of her. UNacceptable!
Report Post »RLTW
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:28pmI’ve traveled for work over the last 16 years, I’ve witnessed TSA’s dealing with people any traveler could ID as foreign, the rudeness and aggression is without question a blight on the American people.
There was a time when overseas you presented a US passport and there was no issue, I can tell all my recent trip through Munich was anything but pleasant and it was clear it was purely because of my citizenship.
Report Post »c0mm0nsense
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 10:14pmWhat are you going to do when the TSA is in the Train and Bus Station, Subway and Radom Check Points on the hwy?
Report Post »dissentnow
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 10:51pmGood point, Commonsense. It WILL happen!
Report Post »RLTW
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 11:09pmEveryone must decide what their trigger point will be, but before that we should just tell the government we love them, see how that works.
Report Post »fromo1946
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:02pmWell, here’s a bit of karma, they arrested a couple of TSA screeners for allowing drugs to be smuggled through the check-in…too bad this little girl had to be subjected with simpletons like this. Hopefully, they’ll get let go, as well as their clueless leader Napolian.
Report Post »godhatesacoward
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:06pmYep, just heard that. The tsa has got to go asap!
Report Post »seattleconservative
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:00pmI have a 4 year old girl. I look at her and imagine what I would do if she was subjected to this. Yeah she can get scared and throw a tantrum and be uncooperative, but not in any way be a threat to security. What grown adult human being actually believes a little girl like this is a threat in any way? And if you fight against this travesty you get tazed, thrown in jail, and charged by Holder as being a terrorist threat.
Report Post »This is not America any more.
hillbillyinny
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:12pmYou wrote: “This is not America any more.”
This is so true, and you are so right!
As my mom aged she would say to me, “I’m getting too old for this world.” This was her response to how quicly things were changing. That was twenty-five years ago. . . now it‘s me saying the same thing and I’m ten years younger than my mother was at that time.
I do not understand how we have changed so much in about fifty years, but I was in tenth grade when Bible reading and prayer was taken out of public schools, and already, two years later our homerooms were strangely different–noisier, less organized, less welcoming, more clichy. In fifty years our entre country has changed except for those of us who “cling to our God, Bible and guns”!
Help us Lord!
Report Post »762x51
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:59pmSo let me get this straight. Armed TSA agents need “backup” to handle an uncooperative small child. What is their plan if a real Muslim terrorist should happen to show up?
Wait, they won’t bother him because that would be profiling.
Children are safer to handle than Islamic terrorists, especially when you have “backup”
FOOLS.
Report Post »III Percent
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:58pmE n o u g h!!!
Report Post »mcgrawactor1
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:58pmThis is just a sickening abuse of power! “O” tolerance has turned into “O” common sense. Boy, would I love to turn the tables on these TSA agents. “Pat them down”, how bout it?
Report Post »momrules
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:57pmI would be in jail. I would not have let this happen to my child. I would have fought them physically and would have had to be shot before I would have let them or ANYONE rape, yes RAPE my child before my very eyes.
Damn them, Damn them all who did this to a four year old child. And that includes you Mom and Dad and Grandmother and everyone else who stood by while a child screamed in fear as she was groped and fondled by strangers.
Mom I had you back yesterday when people were blaming you for not restraining your child but no more. You should have risked all for your child. She is YOUR CHILD. What kind of mother are you?
Ah God…….. every adult involved in this makes me sick.
Report Post »shotzie
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:30pmMOMRULES – so very well said. I’m the age where I will have grandchildren very soon. It sickens me to think that I cannot take them on a trip to see our great nation unless we drive simply due to the insanity that is the TSA. Every time I read one of these stories I think of (and oh how people will rant about this comparison) the “good” German families that stood by silently while their nation was committing atrocities. Because what the TSA is doing to children and the disabled and the elderly is an atrocity. Every person who stands silently in line when they see it happening are accountable. Whoever is reading this, next time you fly – please stand up and be heard. We must get our country back and the TSA is a great place to start. Why can they not simply require a US passport to fly domestically? Let a private company pre-screen people with reservations via their passport. And for goodness sake – PLEASE PROFILE!!
Report Post »justangry
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:53pmAbsolutely love seeing this side of you.
Report Post »c0mm0nsense
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 10:16pm@momrules
Report Post »You may be in Jail without a Lawyer and Trial.
ever hear of NDAA
Mil-Dot
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 7:58amYou see, what the govt does is creates a psychological profile of the powerless idiot that will do anything they are told to do. Unattractive females and fat girls are in this group too. A type of person that was picked on as a child, and is ripe to obtain authority over others. These are the people sought out and screened for the govt goon jobs like TSA, IRS and the myriad other “gun toting” agencies. This is how Nazi Germany came about. They took the powerless idiots, and gave them power. Any law enforcement agency is filled with these types.
Report Post »Donald
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:55pmOne Word….
Report Post »P
E
D
O
P
H
I
L
E
S
NOT A CRAZY
Posted on April 26, 2012 at 12:51amExactly!
Report Post »Darla_K
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:52pmOur great country. They make this hell for us, the citizens, but on the other hand they send our money to the terrorist countries readily without any pat downs or such. Why does our own people suffer like this and the rest get away with everything?
Report Post »I.Gaspar
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:50pmMost of the TSA agents I have seen look like they’d have a hard time holding a job as a security guard at a dollar store…and they are given virtually unlimited power in harassing American citizens from infants to centarians while obama, holder and uncle janet let illegals, terrorists, and murderers enter our country with impunity over our southwestern borders.
Report Post »This is no longer the country I grew up in…and if we don’t start trying to take it back in November by voting out every possible progressive leftist…we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg.
NOT A CRAZY
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:50pmThe TSA are nothing more than a bunch of jackbooted thugs. The TSA is the perfect playground for sexual deviants, including pedophiles, homosexuals and general perverts. It is also the perfect arena for the corrupt, the drug pusher, the thief, and the insane. Thank you federal government for protecting us from the imaginary. Isn’t it interesting that our government is supposedly protecting us from “terrorist” but now BO is promoting the Muslim Brotherhood to help small businesses and so on. We aren’t being protected from Sh1t.
Report Post »http://cnsnews.com/news/article/obama-administration-says-it-talked-muslim-brotherhood-promote-small-business
DudleyDoRight
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:47pmIt is waaaaaaay past time to shut down TSA. We need to move all muslims out of our country – like we kept the nazies out in WWII. Then, maybe, we can go back to watching our loved ones leave for their trips at the gate like we used to do when America was free.
Report Post »lukerw
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:46pmThis is not My Govenment… nor My America!
Report Post »AJAYW
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:44pmobama and holders TSA agents are nothing but terrorist.
Report Post »boomboom
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:51pmMonsterous Pervert Freaks TSA I hate them.
Report Post »THey make me sick in my stomach.
godhatesacoward
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:44pmIf it was my daughter, I’d be in jail and at least one tsa agent would be in the hospital!
Report Post »momrules
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:07pmI would have been jailed for attempted murder or for muder itself. This would not have happened to my child without a fight.
Report Post »crusaderinsc
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:42pmBoy. glad I didn’t witness that. doubt i’d be able to exercise appropriate restraint in some peoples eyes.
Report Post »South Philly Boy
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:42pmLoose CANNONS
Report Post »Patriot of My America
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:40pmI am simply OUTRAged AT THIS tyranny. Anger is anger… A 4 year old little girl is treated this way by the Nazi Napolitano Brown shirts… You are all Fired….Stupid can not be FIxed…
Report Post »John 1776
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:39pmSo, the TSA has license to molest children????
Report Post »THXll38
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 8:37pmAmericans love the TSA and all the other liberty stripping agencies. If they didn’t, Romney would not be the republican candidate.
Report Post »Rayblue
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:04pmPointing with your “pinky” finger impresses no one but reds.
Report Post »THXll38
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 9:24pmThe truth hurts. It even hurts more when you are getting screwed by an elephant.
Report Post »Rayblue
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 10:18pmI’m no Romney fan.
Report Post »But I don’t pretend that the opposition has a viable ethic either.
dissentnow
Posted on April 25, 2012 at 10:40pmTHXLL38 speaks the truth. President Romney will do nothing to stop the TSA. It was his fellow RINO moderates that created the TSA in the first place. I have a feeling that, much like the anti-war left vanished after Obama became president, so too will the anti-TSA republicans once Romney takes office. Politics is a game and that’s how it is played.
Report Post »