Denver, CO — Former Denver Broncos star Terrell Davis is suing United Airlines following an incident in which he was handcuffed and removed from a flight, according to his attorney. The Hall of Famer and his legal representatives have made this incident public, releasing a video that captures the confrontation.
The incident occurred on a United Airlines flight from Denver to California earlier this month. According to Davis, a misunderstanding arose when his son requested a cup of ice from a flight attendant who did not respond. When Davis tapped the attendant on the shoulder to get his attention, the attendant reacted by loudly claiming he was hit and moved to another part of the aircraft. Upon landing, the aircraft’s captain instructed passengers to remain seated, and FBI agents boarded the plane, handcuffing Davis and escorting him off for questioning.
“The agent walks up to me, and he leans over and whispers, ‘Don’t fight it,’ and he put the cuffs on me,” Davis recounted during an interview shortly after the incident, describing his shock and embarrassment. According to the FBI, Davis was released shortly after when they determined that he had done nothing wrong.
New footage shared by Davis’s legal team shows the moment FBI agents took him into custody. In the video, Davis’s wife, Tamiko, is seen standing, visibly upset, and exchanging words with the agent and her husband.
Tamiko Davis, who shared her trauma over the incident with the media, emphasized the difficulties of protecting their children from such frightening experiences. “As a mom, as a Black mom raising two Black sons, you work really hard to not have your” children have those types of experiences,” she explained.
Parker Stinar, the family’s lawyer, articulated the lawsuit’s aim to address broader systemic issues highlighted by the incident. “This video confirms the harrowing tale of multiple law enforcement agents, including the FBI, boarding the plane and apprehending a shocked, terrified, humiliated, and compliant Mr. Davis in front of his wife, Tamiko, minor children, and more than one hundred passengers,” Stinar stated. He criticized the misleading report by the flight attendant, which led to what he described as an unnecessary and traumatic ordeal.
United Airlines has responded to the event by apologizing to Davis and placing the flight attendant on leave pending an investigation. The company expressed regret over the distress caused to the Davis family.
Legal experts suggest that the case could spotlight systemic issues within airline operations, particularly regarding the procedures for handling conflicts and accusations on board. The incident has sparked discussions in the travel industry and amongst the public about the delicate interplay between airline crew authority and passenger rights.
As the lawsuit progresses, potential revelations about airline protocols and practices could influence industry-wide changes in how conflicts are managed on commercial flights, reinforcing the need for balance between security and passenger rights.