Hannah Cohen was returning home to Chattanooga at the Memphis Airport after receiving her final treatment for the brain tumor she has had treated the last 17 years when she set off the metal detector at a security checkpoint, according to a WREG report.
Cohen’s mother, Shirley, says she tried to tell TSA agents her daughter is partially deaf, blind in one eye, paralyzed and easily confused, but said she was kept at a distance by airport police. That is when Hannah Cohen got into a scuffle with airport police that left her
“They wanted to do further scanning, she was reluctant, she didn’t understand what they were about to do,” said Shirley Cohen. “She’s trying 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. There was blood everywhere.”
The 19-year-old was arrested, booked and in jail rather than celebrating the end to her treatment.
“Here we were with nowhere to go, not even a toothbrush, our bags had gone to Chattanooga,” Shirley Cohen told WREG.
Although authorities threw out the charges, the Cohen family filed a lawsuit against the Memphis Airport, Airport Police and TSA.
Sari Koshetz of TSA released the following statement:
“Passengers can call ahead of time to learn more about the screening process for their particular needs or medical situation.”
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.