Woman Slaps TSA Agent At Security Checkpoint In Orlando

A woman in Orlando is in jail after she slapped a TSA employee at Orlando International Airport on Wednesday.

The woman, Hyunjoo Kim, 39, from South Korea, slapped the security agent after she was patted down during the screening process at the security checkpoint.

After being told she needed to be patted down, Hyunjoo became more irritated when the TSA officers told her two bottles of lotion in her possession were too big to be in her carry on for the airplane, reports The Orlando Sentinel.

The arrest report for Kim reads, in part:

“She swung several times at TSA Officer [Janine] Pagan and eventually struck her with an open hand on the right side of her face, causing redness and soreness.”

The Daily Mail notes that the report adds that, “Kim then turned and shoved TSA Officer [Pamela] Soto in the chest several times in an attempt to get her bag.”

It is understandable that the woman’s assault on the TSA officers caused a ruckus at the security checkpoint. An Orlando police officer who was working off-duty at the airport when the incident occurred responded to the call. When they located her, Kim was yelling and cussing at the TSA agents.

She was arrested at the scene and charged with two counts of battery against transit agents. The TSA released a statement about Kim’s arrest on Thursday, saying:

“TSA takes the safety of our officers very seriously and physical assault on our Officers will be referred for criminal prosecution.”

Court records have shown that Kim did not want South Korean government officials to be aware of her arrest after assaulting two TSA officers