NFL star Terrell Davis slams United Airlines after being handcuffed, removed from flight
Former NFL player Terrell Davis speaks onstage during day 3 of SiriusXM at Super Bowl LIV on January 31, 2020 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for SiriusXM )
LOS ANGELES - Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis is slamming United Airlines over a "humiliating" incident over the weekend in which he was escorted off a plane in handcuffs in front of his family.
Davis, who starred for the Denver Broncos at running back from 1995-2001, wrote on Instagram Monday that it happened on his United flight from Denver to Orange County on Saturday.
The confrontation began when he says he "lightly tapped" a male flight attendant on the arm to get his attention after he asked for a cup of ice and was apparently ignored or wasn't heard.
"He shouted 'don't hit me' and left the cart to hurriedly approach the front of the plane. I was confused, as were the passengers in front of me who witnessed the exchange. I thought nothing of it other than this particular employee was incredibly rude and blatantly wrong in his accusations of me hitting him. I did not see or interact with him further for the duration of the flight."
Davis said as the flight landed, the pilot asked all passengers to remain seated while FBI and other law enforcement agencies got on the plane and started walking in his direction.
"The FBI agents and local authorities proceeded directly to my seat and immediately placed me in handcuffs, while seated and without any explanation, in front of my wife and children while the entire flight of passengers watched in silence. I was then removed from the flight while being recorded by multiple passengers as I was paraded off of the plane in handcuffs by the officer."
Davis noted that the agents believed him when he explained his side of the story, saying they "profusely apologized."
"I was – and remain – humiliated, embarrassed, powerless, and angry. During questioning, it was rightfully determined by the agents that this flight attendant was inaccurate in his accusations and the agents profusely apologized even offering to support me and my family in any way possible."
Davis said his legal team is pursuing action.
"What took place on a United Airlines flight concerning Mr. Davis is appalling and disturbing to say the least. We plan on fully investigating the events that took place and are actively contacting United Airlines in this matter. Mr. Davis' statement speaks for itself, and we can all agree no person should be subjected to this kind of injustice and humiliation, especially in front of their children and wife," Davis' lawyer said in a statement to FOX 11.
United has since issued a statement saying '"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 had a short career compared to other NFL Hall of Famers due to injuries, but he was extremely productive for Denver as a sixth-round pick out of Georgia in 1995.
A three-time All-Pro and two-time Super Bowl champion, Davis was a workhorse in the backfield for the Broncos in his first four seasons in the league, totaling 6,413 yards — including a league-leading 2,008 yards in 1998 — and 56 rushing touchdowns over that span.
Davis won the 1998 NFL MVP Award and AP Offensive Player of the Year with his 2,000-plus rushing season that also saw 21 touchdowns on the ground and two through the air.
FOX News contributed to this report.