NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Davis says he was handcuffed and taken off a flight to California after a flight attendant accused him Saturday.
“I am still in shock over the traumatizing events that occurred Saturday on 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 from 1995 to 2001 and helped them win two Super Bowls, said the incident happened after his son asked for a cup of ice while drinking.
“The flight attendant either didn’t hear his request or ignored it and continued walking down our row,” Davis said. “I calmly reached behind me and gently tapped his arm to get his attention and ask him again for a cup of ice cream for my son. His reaction and the events that followed should have astonished us all.”
“He yelled ‘don’t hit me’ and left the cart to quickly walk to 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, except that this particular employee was incredibly rude and flat out wrong in his accusations that I had hit him. I did not see or interact with him again during the flight.”
Davis said that after the plane landed, six FBI agents and other law enforcement officers boarded him, handcuffed him and removed him from the plane in front of his family.
“I was — and still am — humiliated, ashamed, helpless and angry,” he said. “During the interrogation, the officers correctly determined that this flight attendant was false in her accusation and the officers apologized profusely, even offering to support me and my family in any way they could.”
In a statement, the FBI did not identify Davis by name but confirmed that agents and local law enforcement responded to John Wayne Airport in Santa Ana for a report of an incident aboard a flight. One person was detained for questioning, cooperated and was “released to continue his travels,” the FBI said.
United Airlines said in a statement to NBC News: “This is clearly not the type 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 thoroughly investigate this matter.”
Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017. In his career, he rushed for 7,607 yards and scored 60 touchdowns, while winning the NFL MVP award in 1998.