NFL Hall-of-Famer Terrell Davis says United Airlines has sent him a travel ban notice after the airline apologized for an incident in which he was handcuffed and taken off a United flight in front of his family.
DENVER (KDVR) — NFL Hall-of-Famer Terrell Davis says United Airlines has sent him a travel ban notice after the airline apologized for an incident in which he was handcuffed and taken off a United flight in front of his family.
Davis posted a screenshot of an email that appears to have been sent by United's Passenger Incident Review Committee on his Instagram Tuesday morning.
The email said United's policy is to "delay or refuse any passenger whose conduct or condition threatens the safety of the employees and passengers," per the screenshot posted on Davis' Instagram.
The email said Davis is not permitted to fly with United until the committee reviews the incident and possibly considers reinstatement. In the meantime, the email said Davis could submit a summary of the incident.
"This company not only wrongfully accused me of something I did not do and had me handcuffed and detained, but they have failed on so many levels to demonstrate any genuine empathy for my family's experience and also at making the real changes to ensure this doesn't happen to anyone else," Davis said in his Instagram post.
In mid-July, Davis was on a United flight from Denver to Orange County, California. According to his record of events, he tapped a flight attendant on the arm to get his attention and asked for a cup of ice. That is when the attendant allegedly shouted, “Don’t hit me,” according to Davis’ Instagram post.
Once the flight landed, FBI and law enforcement officers boarded the plane and put Davis in handcuffs. A video was later released of Davis being taken off the flight in handcuffs.
The video shows an FBI agent along with another law enforcement officer taking Davis off the flight while the rest of the passengers were still onboard. It appears Davis goes willingly in the video.
Davis said the agents later determined that the attendant was inaccurate, and the agents apologized to Davis.
After the incident, United released the following statement: "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. We have removed the flight attendant from duty while we closely review this matter."
Davis’ attorney, Parker Stinar, said he plans to file a lawsuit on behalf of the family in the next couple of weeks.
Nexstar's KDVR has reached out to United for comment on the email and is awaiting a response.
