NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Davis gave a report that he was handcuffed and removed from a flight heading to California due to an accusation from a flight attendant last Saturday.
“I am still in shock over the traumatizing events that occurred Saturday aboard a United flight from Denver to Orange County with my wife, two sons, and daughter,” Davis, the former Denver Broncos running back, said on social media.
Davis, who played for the Broncos between 1995 and 2001 and did his best to ensure their two Super Bowl wins, said that the incident happened after his son requested a cup of ice during the beverage service.
“The flight attendant either didn’t hear or ignored his request and continued past our row,” Davis said. “I calmly reached behind me and lightly tapped his arm to get his attention to again ask for a cup of ice for my son. His response and the events that followed should stun all of us.”
“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,” Davis continued. “I thought nothing of it other than that 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.”
David recounted that after the flight landed, six FBI agents and other law enforcement personnel entered the aircraft, handcuffed him, and saw him off the flight in front of his family.
“I was—aand remain—hhumiliated, embarrassed, powerless, and angry,” he said. “During questioning, it was rightfully determined by the agents that this flight attendant was inaccurate in his accusation, and the agents profusely apologized, even offering to support me and my family in any way possible.”
The FBI confirmed in a statement that, while they did not recognize Davis, agents and local law enforcement responded to a reported incident at John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana. A person was detained for interrogation, was cooperative, and was later “released to continue his travels,” according to the law enforcement agency.
United Airlines issued a statement to NBC News, saying, “This is clearly not the kind of travel experience we strive to provide. We have reached out to Mr. Davis’s team to apologize and have removed the flight attendant from duty while we conduct a thorough review of the situation.”
Davis, inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, rushed for 7,607 yards and scored 60 touchdowns throughout his career, earning NFL MVP honors in 1998.
