Posted on 05/16/2007 7:52:39 AM PDT by E Rocc
Iraq war veteran tells of beating at airport
Soldier accuses Las Vegas police
By DAVID KIHARA REVIEW-JOURNAL National Guard Sgt. Mark England came out of a tour of duty in Iraq with just a hand injury from an insurgent attack near Baghdad in 2004.
His trip to Las Vegas last month, however, ended with a police beating at McCarran International Airport that left him with three broken ribs, he said.
"I could understand if I was in Germany or a foreign country, but we're supposed to be on the same side," England said. "If it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone."
The 37-year-old Orange County, Calif., resident said the officer beat him with a nightstick after England got into an argument with a Transportation Security Administration agent who refused to let England take a soda through the security checkpoint last month. England said he also was shocked three times with a Taser before being taken to jail.
England, who is 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 205 pounds, said he was not aggressive and was polite to all of the authorities he dealt with that night. He and his wife say surveillance footage from the night in question will prove him innocent, but England can't get copies of it.
"It will show I was never a threat to the officer," he said.
Officials said police will get the surveillance tapes within the next few days.
Elaine Sanchez, public affairs and marketing manager for McCarran, said release of the tape must be approved by the Clark County Department of Aviation and the Transportation Security Administration, because the airport owns the equipment and the federal agency has jurisdiction over the tapes. She said a copy of the tape was not given to England because of the ongoing investigation.
Police Internal Affairs investigators are looking into England's allegations but can't discuss it because it is an ongoing investigation, said Bill Cassell, spokesman for the Las Vegas police.
England is facing charges of resisting arrest and violating airport rules. He and his lawyer have been unable to get anyone to tell them exactly what airport rule he violated. England's arraignment is slated for April 10; but his lawyer, Cal Potter, expects that to be postponed because the district attorney hadn't received the case as of Thursday.
England had been sightseeing and gambling in Las Vegas during NASCAR weekend and was scheduled to fly out of McCarran on March 10. He arrived at the airport a little before 6 p.m. Before he went through the Concourse C security checkpoint, he bought a hot dog and a $3.25 soft drink in a cup.
England said he tried to go through the security checkpoint, but a TSA agent told him he couldn't proceed with the food and soda. England told the TSA official he believed that he could bring a soda through the security checkpoint as long as he could show a receipt proving it was purchased at the airport.
According to McCarran officials, you can't take a soda through the security checkpoint even if you have a receipt. You can, however, purchase a drink after passing through the checkpoint.
The TSA official refused to let England pass. England asked to see a supervisor. The supervisor also didn't allow England to pass through the checkpoint. The supervisor also asked to see England's identification and then made copies of his military ID and boarding pass.
"I know it sounds weird, but I have a problem being in the military and having some civilian tell me I'm wrong when I actually thought I was right," England said. "If I'm wrong, I'll admit I'm wrong. But it was their attitude they were giving me" that bothered him.
What really angered England, he said, was the TSA supervisor told him he was a lieutenant in the Army but refused to show any proof of this claim. England pressed him to show a military ID, but the TSA supervisor wouldn't budge.
"I said, 'Sir, with all due respect, that's (expletive) up,' " England said.
A Las Vegas police officer told England to go to his plane's boarding gate, which England did. But he missed his flight.
With several hours to kill before he could catch another flight, England decided to find the TSA supervisor. He met the TSA supervisor and the police officer by the security checkpoint and asked to see the TSA supervisor's boss.
At that point, the Las Vegas police officer asked England to walk with him, England said. They walked about 50 feet from the security checkpoint, and the officer asked to see England's boarding pass.
England fumbled through his pockets and pulled out a dollar bill that he said the officer pulled from his hand and threw on the floor.
England said he asked the officer, "Would you mind picking up that dollar bill from the floor?"
The officer pulled out his handcuffs and told England to turn around and put his hands behind his back. England said the officer placed a hand on his shoulder and that England instinctively rolled his shoulder out from under the officer's hand. The officer then pulled out a baton and yelled at him to get on the floor, England said.
He said the officer hit him multiple times with the baton, breaking three ribs on his left side and injuring his hand and head. Another officer then shocked him with a Taser at least three times, England said.
"I've never seen this much pain in all my life," he said.
When England was released from the Clark County jail the next day, he was bruised and looked horrible, said his friend Ken Dorton who bailed him out.
"My first reaction was, 'Oh my god. What did they do to you?' " said Dorton. He said England had dried blood on his hand and face and a swollen eye.
England admits that he had two beers over several hours before he went to McCarran but said he wasn't intoxicated. He also said he was never disrespectful toward the officer.
"I was raised to honor the police and I've always done that," he said.
Sorry, but by the time I read the end of the article, I can’t say that the officers were so much in the wrong. Especially since this is written from his side of the story.
It’s a “he said, he said” right now.
Memo to England, don’t take soda on to plane like the rest of us.
If you must, from OC to LV is a quick 4 hour drive and you can drink all the way.
He should watch the Chris Rock video of how not to get beaten by the police....
Sounds like the Sargeant might be happier living in a country run by a military dictatorship.
And England was clearly in the wrong:
"1. All liquids, gels and aerosols must be in three-ounce or smaller containers. Larger containers that are half-full or toothpaste tubes rolled up are not allowed. Each container must be three ounces or smaller.
2. All liquids, gels and aerosols must be placed in a single, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag. Gallon size bags or bags that are not zip-top such as fold-over sandwich bags are not allowed. Each traveler can use only one, quart-size, zip-top, clear plastic bag.
3. Each traveler must remove their quart-sized plastic, zip-top bag from their carry-on and place it in a bin or on the conveyor belt for X-ray screening. X-raying separately will allow TSA security officers to more easily examine the declared items."
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/prohibited/permitted-prohibited-items.shtm
Mr. England somehow didn’t get the word that you surrender all your civil rights when you go to the airport. In return, you get surly treatment from TSA personnel, the opportunity to take off your shoes, outer clothing and belt in public at the xray, dirty waiting areas and a possible ride on an airplane to your chosen destination.
“I know it sounds weird, but I have a problem being in the military and having some civilian tell me I’m wrong when I actually thought I was right,” England said. “If I’m wrong, I’ll admit I’m wrong. But it was their attitude they were giving me” that bothered him.”
I have a problem with that statement.
Hubby and I spent an entire day at the San Diego zoo and walking around to various other tourist attractions before catching an evening flight to Atlanta. When boarding our connecting flight in Atlanta, a BIG black female security agent harrassed me to remove my sneakers (this was during the time of random shoe removal). When I couldn’t get them off, due to swollen feet, she loudly informed me she would remove them for me! I gladly allowed her to do that, at which point she was greeted with a big whiff of sweaty feet!
I could tell she regretted that move, big time!
The TSA is retarded.
Exactly the reason I refuse to fly any longer. I refuse to go through that crap any longer. My wife's nephew is getting married in WA state in July. We were going to drive out, but decided not too. So, she is flying. I am staying home. I REFUSE to fly. I will not put up with that s*** any more. I went through it a few times and I refuse to pay money to be treated like scum by scum.
There is a video of this beating. If you can find it, I think you will see that this guy got trounced by the cops and nobody stopped them or tried to intervene. Got it!
http://www.ktnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=6495489&nav=menu498_1_3
I don’t know if they show the entire thing, the video I saw was about 12 minutes but it was really brutal, really wrong.
sorry I believe him
the Authorities are getting a little arrogant, and over react to any critics.
lets wait and see the video.
You are right England, this does sound weird. Thanks for your service and all, but I could really do without this kind of attitude. Why even make the distinction?
Well, just based on what’s written here, it sounds to me like the soldier was looking for trouble. We’ll see what the tapes come up with.
Well, what do you know? Black racism is alive and well, even in Las Vegas, even in the TSA. Will wonders never cease.
I wonder if this isn’t part of the equation with this soldier’s complaint? I wouldn’t be surprised. After all, here in Los Angeles (Long Beach), we give black folks the right to beat up white girls and yell racist slogans at them. It is a sort of White Folks’ Penance. Maybe the soldier didn’t know that is part of the America he is fighting for.
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