United Airlines has apologized to Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis after an incident that led him to be handcuffed and removed from a flight.
Davis said that when he tapped a flight attendant’s arm to get his attention, the flight attendant accused Davis of hitting him, and that when the plane landed law enforcement got on board, handcuffed him and removed him because of the flight attendant’s accusation. Now United has released a statement acknowledging that Davis was mistreated.
“This is clearly not the kind of travel experience we strive to provide, and we have reached out to Mr. Davis’s team to apologize,” United said in a statement. “We have removed the flight attendant from duty while we closely review this matter.”
Davis wrote on social media that he was flying on Saturday with his wife and three children when his son asked a flight attendant for ice. When the flight attendant did not respond, Davis says he lightly tapped the attendant’s arm to get his attention, and that the attendant shouted, “Don’t hit me” in response. Davis says he was confused by the reaction but thought it was over until the flight landed, when the pilot asked all passengers to remain seated while six law enforcement agents boarded the plane, handcuffed Davis and removed him.
Davis says that once he explained to law enforcement what happened, they determined “that this flight attendant was inaccurate in his accusations” and apologized to him and let him go. Davis says his lawyers will be in touch with United.
The 51-year-old Davis was a 1995 sixth-round draft pick of the Broncos who played his entire seven-year career in Denver. He was the NFL MVP for the 1998 season and the Super Bowl XXXII MVP.