With approximately 900 million passing through Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints in a given year, incidents of violence periodically break out – both among passengers themselves and, in some cases, assaults against officers.
After pleading guilty to battery back in May, 28-year-old Toronto resident Cameron Dylan McDougall is set to be sentenced in Florida federal court over an incident dating back to December 2024.
Aboard a Copa Airlines (CPA) flight back to Toronto from Panama City on Dec. 27, McDougall got into a physical fight with another passenger and caused the pilot to divert the flight to Miami International Airport (MIA). After getting removed from the flight and banned from flying with the airline, McDougall had to purchase a next-day ticket home with Air Canada (ACDVF) — only to get arrested for another altercation in the airport.
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Canadian traveler banned from airline arrested after taking swings at TSA officers
Just after clearing TSA security for an early-morning flight on Dec. 28, McDougall suddenly hit another passenger waiting to pick up a bag on the belt. When a TSA supervisor tried to intervene and stop the fight, McDougall was caught on camera taking several swings at him as well.
While the first employee managed to duck and avoid the punches, a second TSA officer was hit in the face at least three times and sustained minor injuries. In the video from the incident released this week, McDougall is seen continuing to resist as he is led away by additional officers from the security clearance line.
Related: TSA gives stern warning about ID that cannot be used to fly
After news of McDougall’s guilty plea broke on Aug. 3, the TSA responded with a social media post calling it “justice served.”
Toronto resident Cameron McDougall was arrested after trying to punch two TSA officers after clearing security.
Image source: Beck/AFP via Getty Images
‘Assaulting a TSA officer is a crime’: TSA in warning on assault incident
“Assaulting a TSA officer is a crime and violence has no place at our checkpoints,” the agency wrote further. “We’re proud to stand behind our officers and grateful for the justice system holding offenders accountable.”
Such attacks on TSA workers are a crime that falls under the category of assault against a federal officer and can carry a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 if it results in bodily injury. Signs warning of this are posted at security checkpoints across U.S. airports while in McDougall’s case he is reported to face up to two years in prison.
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The TSA periodically releases commentary on the various incidents that occur in the country’s airports — most recently, it entreated travelers to “stop hiding animals in weird places on your body” after a woman in Miami was stopped for transporting two turtles taped into the inside of her bra.
One of the turtles died in the process while the other was confiscated and handed over to the Florida Department of Fish and Wildlife. The reasons the traveler felt she had to do this remain unclear as most airlines allow small pets such as turtles to be brought aboard on domestic flights if transported in a suitable carrier.
“Notice we said ‘carried’ and not ‘hidden underneath your clothing,'” the TSA quipped in the rest of its warning.
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