Acrobat Sam Panda handcuffed, detained by police at Myrtle beach after 'Karen' reports her for wearing thong
MYRTLE BEACH, SOUTH CAROLINA: An acrobat and aerial performer who went viral a few years back after she broke her neck during a performance was detained at Myrtle Beach by the police after a 'Karen' complained about the thong she was wearing.
Sam Panda, whose performance in Bali earned her internet infamy, came to the attention of authorities last week after they received reports of two women who were wearing thong bikinis and a see-through top and "dancing and soliciting videos on the beach," reported WTNH.
Both Horry County and Myrtle Beach governments prohibit thong bathing suits under an ordinance about "indecent exposure" on the beach that has been in place for years, and when officers arrived, they advised Panda and the other women of the rules and gave them a warning. However, one of the women "attempted to walk away from officers and was detained," police said.
A video from the scene shows Panda being placed in handcuffs as she asks what part of the penal code she has broken. One of the officers then reads out the code, "It shall be unlawful for any person to appear in the nude on any public beach... or any public property in the view of the public."
Panda can be heard protesting, "I'm not nude!" and arguing about whether exposing the body parts revealed by a thong should qualify as nudity. At one point, she asks the officer holding her arm, "Can you just let go of me?" to which the officer responds, "No. You're in handcuffs."
Later in the clip, one of the officers says she was detained because of "how [she was] acting." The ordeal comes to an end after another officer arrives and the acrobat explains her situation to him, resulting in the handcuffs being removed.
Panda took to Facebook to share her experience and called out a 'Karen' -- the internet term used to describe predominantly white women who are perceived to be entitled or demanding beyond what is deemed reasonable -- for complaining about her to the police.
"A woman called the cops on me because of my bikini. That's how this all started," she posted. "Some Karen decided that my body was offensive to her and showed her child that her body could one day lead to her arrest. Her body could be the reason a grown a** man violates her. Her body is wrong."
In a second post, she wrote, "If you are a woman, and you decide to call police on other women for their bodies ON A BEACH, IN FRONT OF YOUR TEENAGE DAUGHTER... You have allowed a 105-pound woman to get rushed, aggressively grabbed, manhandled, and cuffed. You allowed two women to be slut-shamed publicly on a beach for their bathing suits."
"And worst of all, you showed your daughter that her body is something she should be ashamed of and could be detained for," she continued. "You showed her that a man can harm a woman over the way her body is viewed by other people. You have objectified a female body that does not belong to you and have showed your daughter that those actions are acceptable."
A GoFundMe page has been set up to support the acrobat, with a description reading, "Sam Panda was detained by Myrtle Beach policy after a 'Karen' complained about her bathing suit... police handcuff her and detained her forcing to leave area. Ms. Panda is a famous airealistic who is recovering from a fall breaking her neck and injuring her back. This sends a negative message to all women that their bodies are somehow shameful and need to be covered. Funds will be used for Ms. Panda medical bills and ongoing expense for her lifestyle and also to change ordinances on Myrtle beach so all can freely enjoy with harassment from police. [sic]."