The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) came under fire again after a story broke of agents selecting a special-needs man for a security pat down.
En route to Disney World, 29-year-old Drew Mandy was singled out for an additional security screening at Detroit Metropolitan Airport’s McNamara Terminal.
Mandy, who has the mental capacity of a 2-year-old child, was unable to comply with TSA commands. He could not place his feet on the yellow shoe line when asked. Agents then proceeded to pat down Mandy’s pants, asking him to explain the padding in his pants from adult diapers.
Mandy’s father attempted to intervene and to explain his son’s handicap, but TSA agents insisted they knew how to handle the situation.
Following the pat down, TSA agents confiscated a 6-inch plastic toy hammer, which Mandy has been carrying with him for the last 20 years for emotional security. The agents argued that the toy hammer could be used as a weapon.
An additional toy hammer packed in Mandy’s mother’s carry-on bag was not confiscated.
Mandy’s father wrote a letter to the TSA and reached out to media outlets following the incident. In a statement to the local Fox station and in a letter, the TSA has apologized for this experience, which it characterizes as “an isolated incident of bad judgment.”
Though the case is formally being reviewed, 800 TSA agents in Detroit’s Metro airport are being retrained based on this case.
By Lily J. Kosner for PeterGreenberg.com.
Related Links: MyFoxDetroit.com, Fox News, San Francisco Examiner
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