U.S. Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney made the morning talk show rounds Wednesday, proclaiming her innocence and calling for people to be more vigilant about racial profiling.

But by late Wednesday, reports surfaced that a federal grand jury will soon begin hearing evidence about the Georgia Democrat's run-in with a Capitol Police officer, said a lawyer familiar with the case who declined to be identified because of grand jury secrecy.

McKinney (D-GA) said her altercation with a U.S. Capitol Police officer and the ensuing controversy is “much ado about a hairdo,” a reference to how McKinney’s new hairstyle may have caused the officer not to recognize her as she attempted to avoid going through a security checkpoint at the Longworth House Office Building on March 29.

U.S. Capitol Police Chief Terrance Gainer said McKinney turned the officer's failure to recognize her into a criminal matter when she failed to stop at his request, and then struck him.

Reports claim that the officer verbally requested that McKinney stop several times before he placed his hand on her shoulder to keep her from moving forward.

"He reached out and grabbed her, and she turned around and hit him," Gainer said on CNN's "American Morning" early Wednesday. "Even the high and the haughty should be able to stop and say, 'I'm a congressman,' and then everybody moves on."

McKinney, appearing on CBS’ “Early Show, said the officers’ actions, from failing to recognize her to physically approaching her, was uncalled for.

“It was inappropriate touching and racism,” McKinney, accompanied by her attorney Michael Raffauf, told co-host Harry Smith. “People all over the country face (racial profiling), particularly people of color.”

But Gainer maintained on CNN that race was not an issue and that McKinney may have escalated a situation that could have been easily resolved.

"I've seen our officers stop white members and black members, Latinos, male and females," he said. "It's not an issue about what your race or gender is. It's an issue about making sure people who come into our building are recognized if they're not going through the magnetometer, and this officer at that moment didn't recognize her."

"It would have been real easy, as most members of Congress do, to say here's who I am or do you know who I am?" Gainer added.

The nearly 11-minute segment on American Morning" included some contentious interactions between co-host Soledad O’Brien and McKinney, who failed to describe to O’Brien what took place at the checkpoint station, choosing at times to criticize the federal budget and the war in Iraq.

Raffauf, interjecting at one point, said the situation boiled down to “bad security policy being implemented by a poorly-trained officer.”

The case is now in the hands of U.S. Attorney Kenneth Wainstein, who will decide whether or not McKinney will be charged.

McKinney, who issued a written statement last week expressing regret for her actions, has admitted that she was not wearing a Congressional pin that all members of the House are required to wear. During her media rounds, McKinney wore the pin, suggesting that with no name or photo, the pin could easily be duplicated and should not be a form of identification for House members.

Desiree Pedescleaux, an associate professor of political science at Spelman College, said she can see both sides of the argument. However, Pedescleaux, who is also president-elect of the National Conference of Black Political Scientists, said she can’t go as far to say that the incident was a case of racial profiling.

“If the police officer actually put his hands on her, then I think he crossed the line,” Pedescleaux told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “He could have startled her and it just could have been her first reaction. But I do think she could have reacted in a different way.”

Retired California State University professor David Covin said there are very few things in America that don’t boil down to race, and this incident involving McKinney could very well be about black and white.

“You can’t really separate race from anything,” Covin told BlackAmericaWeb.com. “Whatever the congresswoman might or might not have done, the very fact that she reacted the way that she did indicates that she perceived race as having something to do with it.”

The bigger picture, according to Covin, is the huge benefit of doubt given to law enforcement officials.

“We often tend to look at police officers as if they are privileged, and they are because they are given the authority to use deadly force at times,” Covin said. “But that privilege does not allow for them to use excessive force.”

Howard University political scientist Lorenzo Morris, Ph.D., said that even though the entire episode has been blown out of proportion, there could be an element of racism involved.

“We can’t know until there is a full review, but (an officer grabbing a congresswoman) may be inconsistent with reasonable behavior,” Morris told BlackAmericaWeb.com, adding that he’s surprised by the larger-than-life feeling the story has taken on.

“To say there has been an overreaction is an understatement,” Morris said. “It’s just plain silly now.”

While Morris isn’t too quick to say that the run-in between McKinney and the officer was an act of racial profiling, he is adamant that the remarks of some Republican House members have been, including those of outgoing Congressman Tom DeLay (R-Texas), who last week called McKinney a racist during a Fox New Channel interview.

“The assumption that has been suggested by Republican leadership is totally inappropriate,” Morris said. “Without hesitation, they will condemn one of their members who is now under attack.”

Yet as vocal as Republicans have been, McKinney’s Democratic colleagues have been rather quiet. Several black Democrats contacted by BlackAmericaWeb.com declined to comment on the matter or did not return phone calls.

Pedescleaux is not surprised by this, especially with a crucial midterm election just seven months away.

“(McKinney) is definitely a lightening rod, and -- because Democrats are really trying to gear up to get the Congress back -- I think everybody is trying to play it safe,” Pedescleaux said. “They basically want to steer away from anyone who might have some negative baggage.”

Some GOP members have said the McKinney incident serves to underscore Democratic insensitivity to security concerns.

Morris said that Democrats now find themselves in the awkward position of having to take sides, yet their reticence further solidifies beliefs that the party is nowhere as unified as it should be.

“The weakness of the Democratic party is that they do not show a unified front. If you look at Republicans, you would at least see them showing support and sympathy,” Morris said. “Democrats need to recognize that by distancing themselves without clear evidence, they are suggesting that they have chosen to join a group that is disorganized.”

Covin said the issue should not have any negative effects on McKinney’s bid for a seventh term. She faces a June primary against DeKalb County Commissioner Henry “Hank” Johnson, but Covin believes that McKinney will ride out this storm.

“We’ve seen in many elections where black legislators have been attacked by exterior forces,” Covin said, pointing to the late Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., who continued to win reelections despite many ethics probes.

“This is an election year, so it’ll be played up," Covin concluded. “But I don’t think it’ll put an end to her career.”

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Associated Press contributed to this story.