TSA Detains Man While Cops Threaten Arrest for Taping in JFK Airport

Mark Lyons entered JFK terminal 4 to determine whether they were using airport body scanners, but when TSA agents saw him filming, it quickly turned into a two-hour-long standoff with assault  allegations and threats of arrest.

According to Pixiq, Lyons's confrontation with the TSA began when an officer saw him filming near the baggage check-in area, and the officer told him he was not allowed to film. When Lyons refused to comply, the officer allegedly tried to slap the cellphone out of Lyons's hand.

At this point, a swarm of TSA officers came over, one of whom tried again to forcibly take the phone away, says Lyons on Flyertalk. Once the TSA agents had gathered around him, a Port Authority Police supervisor walked up to Lyons. The police officer requested several times that Lyons delete the video.

When Lyons demanded to see TSA regulations in writing that state he could not film in any part of the terminal, the police officer suggested that the only place Lyons would see the regulations in writing was back at the police station, under arrest.

A long discussion ensued between Lyons, the police officer, and various TSA agents about regulations regarding filming, and in the end, Lyons agreed to delete the videos rather than be arrested (even though TSA regulations don't prohibit filming). During that time, the officers ran various background checks on him, and refused to let him leave the premises until the videos were gone.

But as you can see for yourself below, Lyons was able to retrieve some of the video (the rest of them can be found at pixiq.com):

It seems the airport's contention is that the building is private property and that the building prohibits such filming.

This incident follows one at a Houston airport recently, where a woman was threatened to be placed on the no-fly list if she didn't delete a picture she took of an airport employee. United Airlines confirmed such a move is an option.