Former NFL player Terrell Davis said Monday, July 15, 2024, that he felt “humiliated” after being handcuffed and removed from a United Airlines flight, followed by law enforcement over the weekend apologize to him.
David Richard/AP/FR25496 AP
hide title
Switch title
David Richard/AP/FR25496 AP
NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Davis says he was mistakenly handcuffed and removed from a United Airlines flight over the weekend following an incident with a flight attendant on board.
In an Instagram post uploaded on Monday, the former Denver Broncos running back said he and his family were on a United Airlines flight from Denver to Santa Ana, California, when the incident occurred on Saturday.
Davis said the incident occurred after his son asked for a glass of ice during the beverage service portion of the flight. Davis said the flight attendants “either didn’t hear it or ignored it” [my son’s] Requested and continued past our platoon.
“I calmly reached behind me, lightly tapped (the waiter’s) arm to get his attention and asked for another glass of ice for my son,” Davis wrote. “His reaction and the events that followed should shock us all.”
Davis said that during the conversation, the flight attendant, whose identity has not been released, yelled “Don’t hit me,” then left the beverage cart and “hurried toward the front of the plane.” Davis said he remembers being “confused” by himself and other passengers on the flight after witnessing the flight attendant’s reaction.
“I don’t think there is anything other than the fact that this particular employee’s accusation that I assaulted him was extremely rude and blatantly false. I did not see him or interact with him further during the flight,” he added.
The retired NFL player said that as soon as the plane landed in California, six FBI and other law enforcement officers boarded the plane and handcuffed him. He claimed he was taken off the plane in front of his wife and children.
Davis said the incident left him “humiliated, embarrassed, powerless and angry.”
“During the interrogation process, agents took it for granted that the flight attendant’s accusations were inaccurate, and agents continually apologized and even offered to support me and my family in any way they could,” he wrote.
In an email to NPR, the FBI confirmed that agents at John Wayne Airport and local law enforcement officers responded to a report of “an incident that occurred on board a flight” that required “further investigation.”
While they did not confirm specific names or details involved in the investigation, the agency told NPR that one person “was detained for questioning, cooperated with law enforcement, and was released to continue traveling.”
United Airlines told NPR the airline has suspended the flight attendant while it monitors the incident. The airline added that it would continue to work with Davis’ team to discuss the incident.
“This is clearly not the travel experience we strive to provide and we have apologized to Mr Davis’ team,” the airline said in a statement.
Parker Stinauer, an attorney representing Davis, called for an immediate investigation of the flight attendants. He said in a statement to NPR that his team plans to investigate the incident and will contact United.
“What happened with Mr. Davis on the United Airlines flight was shocking and disturbing, to say the least,” Stinauer said. “Mr Davis’s statement speaks for itself and we all agree that no one should have to suffer such injustice and humiliation, especially in front of their children and wives.”
Davis played seven seasons for the Denver Broncos from 1995 to 2001 and was one of eight running backs in the NFL to rush for more than 2,000 yards in a season.
He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.
