82-year-old Lila Mae Bryan is sorry over an incident at the Wichita Eisenhower International Airport which led to her arrest. Calling herself a “plain old grandma,” she said she got upset when TSA officers wouldn’t allow her to take her 8-ounce bottle of foaming soap on the flight.

Bryan was traveling with her husband, Silas, from Wichita back to Texas Wednesday morning. The couple had just attended their 65th high school reunion and was returning home to their farm. However when they arrived at the security checkpoint at 5:12 a.m., a TSA officer told Bryan the bottle of foaming soap was too big to take in her carry-on luggage.

For security reasons, travelers are allowed to carry liquids in bottles up to 3.4 ounces.

Bryan told CBS Local that she always carries the liquid soap when she travels, as she doesn’t like to use bar soap, the only type available in hotels. She also said she had forgotten to take her bipolar medication.

TSA officer assaulted by 82-year-old Texas grandmother

According to authorities, when the TSA officer refused to let the Texas grandmother take the bottle through, Bryan allegedly went behind the X-ray scanner, hitting the 37-year-old officer on the arm, reportedly using a closed fist. The TSA officer was uninjured in the incident. The Wichita Eagle quotes Carrie Harmon, a TSA spokeswoman, as saying Bryan had escalated the situation by assaulting their officer.

Harmon said the officers on duty were courteous and professional while advising Bryan the item was not allowed.

Airport police arrest Texas grandmother

Airport police then handcuffed Bryan, taking her to jail where she faced a misdemeanor battery charge and was detained for two hours. Sedgwick County District Attorney Marc Bennett said that when Southwest Airlines contacted his office over the arrest, his staff immediately went to the jail and organized her release.

Bryan did not reportedly have to post any bond.

The airline also arranged for her husband to reunite with Bryan at the Sedgwick County Courthouse.

The Texas Grandmother and her husband were then returned to the airport, where Southwest Airlines organized a flight for them to return home.

Bryan believes the arrest was an ‘overreaction’ to the situation

According to Bryan, she cannot remember hitting the officer, but witnesses told her she did. She did say she was very angry at the time. Bryan said she wanted to apologize to the officer after she was detained, but the airport police wouldn’t let her. She said they just told her she was going to jail over assaulting the TSA officer.

Bryan told the Wichita Eagle that she knew it was wrong, and if she could do it over again, she would let the TSA officer throw the soap in the trash. However, she still thinks the arrest was probably an overreaction to the situation.

TSA officials declined to release security footage of the incident, saying that now Bryan has been identified in the media, it wouldn’t be appropriate to do so.
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