Former Denver Broncos running back Terrell Davis took to Instagram Monday to share a “traumatizing” experience he had on a United Airlines flight over the weekend.
In his six-slide post, the Super Bowl champion recalls the events that unfolded Saturday. According to Davis, the troubling situation started when his son, Myles, asked a flight attendant for a cup of ice on their flight from Denver to Orange County. After being ignored by the flight attendant, Davis touched his arm to get his attention, at which point the flight attendant accused the NFL Hall of Famer of hitting him.
Things escalated further when the plane landed and at least a half-dozen law enforcement officers came aboard the plane. They handcuffed Davis in front of his family and the rest of the passengers, citing the interaction with the flight attendant. Davis wrote that he felt “humiliated, embarrassed, powerless, and angry.” During questioning, Davis recollected the events and was told that the flight attendant’s version of events had been “inaccurate.” He was given an apology by the airline, but says he has not heard anything else.
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Following the incident, Davis writes that he has had to have “hard conversations” with his family because of what they saw. Per his post, Davis has contacted his legal team and wants a “thorough and proper investigation into the flight attendant who blatantly lied.”
“These lies and the ensuing events have the capacity to tarnish the reputation I have spent years building, and this person should not be able to do this to anyone in the future,” Davis wrote to conclude his post.
In response, United Airlines issued this 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.”
A statement from the FBI and John Wayne Airport representatives obtained by USA Today reads: “FBI agents and law enforcement partners at Orange County's John Wayne Airport responded to a report regarding an incident that had occurred aboard a flight which required further investigation. One individual was detained for questioning, was cooperative with law enforcement and was released to continue his travels.”
