FBI agents detained Denver Broncos Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis over the weekend following an incident on a commercial flight operated by United Airlines from Denver to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California.
Tom Cooper/Getty Images via Global Down Syndrome Foundation
Davis explained the situation. On social media After his release, Davis said he was “astonished” by what had happened. He said he had been trying to ask a flight attendant for a favor for the family sitting next to him, but when he hit her on the arm to get her attention, the flight attendant became “rude.”
The FBI’s Los Angeles office did not name Davis in a statement announcing the actions they had taken. They said Orange County investigators and some local police “responded to a report of an incident that occurred on board the flight, which prompted further investigation.” They said the person who was detained “was cooperative with law enforcement and was released to continue his travels.”
“I am in shock over this traumatic event,” said Mr Davis, who was travelling with his wife, two sons and daughter.
“During drink service, my son politely asked for ice. The flight attendant either didn’t hear or ignored his request and walked past our row. I calmly reached back and tapped him on the arm, reminding him to ask again for ice,” Davis wrote in a social media post.
Davis said that immediately after hitting the flight attendant on the arm, the man yelled “don’t hit me” and moved to another part of the plane. Davis said the flight attendant was “incredibly rude and patently false in her accusation that I hit him,” and did not speak to her for the rest of the flight.
Davis said the captain asked everyone to remain seated before passengers left the plane, at which point police officers boarded the plane, handcuffed Davis and removed him from the plane without giving any reason.
Davis said that shortly after the questioning began at the airport, the FBI told him they agreed with him that the flight attendant’s accusations were inaccurate, that they apologized to him, and that he was subsequently released.
He says he feels “humiliated, ashamed, powerless and angry.”
“We refuse to stand by and watch without speaking out about this injustice and deplorable treatment by United Airlines,” Davis said.
Davis said his legal team has been in contact with United Airlines.
“I demand a thorough and proper investigation into the flight attendant who blatantly lied and caused undue harm to me and my family,” he said.
After this article was published, United Media Relations provided the following response to a CBS Colorado inquiry:
“This is clearly not the travel experience we strive to provide. We have contacted Ms. Davis’ team to apologise, and have removed the flight attendant from duty whilst we thoroughly investigate this matter.”
Davis signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in the mid-1990s and retired due to injuries after seven seasons. He is in the Broncos Ring of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame. During his professional career, he was named NFL MVP once and was named Super Bowl MVP in Super Bowl XXXII. He rushed for 2,000 yards in 1998. There are very few running backs. Achieved.
