Kennedy's Tale Of The Tape
The videotape of a confrontation between U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy and an airport security guard shows the congressman quickly shoving the woman backward into a metal detector archway.
The brief physical contact was recorded by several cameras at Los Angeles International Airport, reports CBS station KCBS-TV reporter Paul Dandridge. The tape was released Wednesday by airport police after the city attorney's office decided Tuesday to not pursue criminal charges.
The guard, Della Patton, 58, had filed a battery complaint against the 32-year-old Kennedy, D-R.I.
The deputy city attorney who decided against charges said he considered such factors as whether there was a past history, the likelihood of a future problem, and the severity of the actual contact.
Both sides claimed the videotape would support their accounts of the March 26 incident. Police had said the tape showed "physical contact" but gave no details while the investigation was under way.
Only Kennedy, Patton and another guard appear in the videotape.
At least two of three camera angles showed contact between Kennedy and Patton.
The tape shows Kennedy approaching a baggage X-ray machine with a handbag and a large carry-on bag, which he attempts to put through the device.
Patton then steps through the passenger metal detector and waves at Kennedy, apparently indicating that the bag won't fit.
She and Kennedy talk, and both bags then reverse out of the machine.
Kennedy grabs the handbag and steps over to the metal detector, which is blocked by Patton. The tape then shows Kennedy raising his right hand to her left shoulder and pushing her back into the detector archway, which jostled from the contact.
Kennedy then leaves with both bags, then reappears sometime later with just the hand bag.
The tape shows Kennedy passing through the metal detector, picking up his bag and then having what appears to be a pointed discussion with Patton, who says little.
Kennedy, the son of Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass, has admitted acting rudely and apologized, but he denied injuring Patton. He said the incident was blown out of proportion.
Patton's attorney has said he likely will seek a settlement and sue if those talks fail.
Kennedy said any demand for damages is not supported by the events.
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