[Infowarrior] - No Felony Charges For Woman In TSA Groping Case

[Richard Forno]

No Felony Charges For Longmont Woman In TSA Groping Case

July 19, 2011 8:38 PM

http://denver.cbslocal.com/2011/07/19/no-felony-charges-for-longmont-woman-in-tsa-groping-case/

LONGMONT, Colo. (CBS4) – No felony charges will be filed against the Colorado woman who allegedly sexually assaulted a Transportation Security Administration agent in Phoenix.

On Tuesday the Maricopa County district attorney decided to turn the case of Yukari Miyamae, 61, of Longmont over to city prosecutors. She could still be charged with a misdemeanor.

Police say Miyamae grabbed the female agent’s left breast, squeezed and twisted it with both hands on July 14 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Miyamae was getting ready to board a flight from Phoenix to Denver.

Miyamae’s attorney Judd Golden says his client was violated, endangered and threatened by the actions of TSA agents. She denies doing anything wrong.

Golden released a statement Tuesday, saying Miyamae is a self-employed translator, author and radio producer. He used the following words to describe how the situation unfolded:

Ms. Miyamae says she told TSA agents she wanted to be screened by the metal detector gate. She did so out of concern for excessive radiation exposure from the full-body scanners, as she is a frequent business traveler.

Her request was denied. She was soon surrounded by TSA agents. One TSA agent, a tall woman, approached Ms. Miyamae, who is only five feet tall.

Ms. Miyamae felt panicked and experienced a volatile aversion to the TSA personnel violating her personal physical space. She felt endangered and threatened based upon prior traumatizing security pat-downs, repugnance at the prospect of being touched again in such a violent and undignified manner, and instinctively pushed the female TSA agent away.

Golden says Miyamae is considering offers to do interviews but so far hasn’t committed to doing one.

Some Facebook users who are obviously frustrated with the strict procedures of the Transportation Safety Administration set up a Facebook page over the weekend called “Acquit Yukari Mihamae” expressing their support for Mihamae.

A different Facebook page was set up by friends called the Yukari Miyamae Legal Defense Fund.