NFL Hall Of Famer Terrell Davis Cuffed After United Airlines Flight, Airline Apologizes

'I was -- and remain -- humiliated, embarrassed, powerless and angry.'

An NFL Hall of Famer was removed from a United Airlines flight from Denver to Orange County, California after attempting to get the attention of a flight attendant. The attendant contacted airline officials, leading to the former player’s handcuffing and arrest upon landing. United Airlines has since issued an apology and removed the attendant from duty.

According to NPR, Terrell Davis and his family were on a flight when he attempted to gain the attention of a male flight attendant. He posted about the troubling incident on his Instagram account. He explained that his son had asked for a cup of ice and either the attendant didn’t hear him or he ignored his son. He reached out to the attendant to get his attention.

“I calmly reached behind me and lightly tapped (the attendant’s) arm to get his attention to again ask for a cup of ice for my son,” Davis stated. “His response and the events that followed should stun all of us.”

Davis wrote that after he tapped the flight attendant, who said, “Don’t hit me.” He said he was confused, as were the other passengers who witnessed what happened.

There was no other interaction with the attendant, but when the flight landed, the pilot instructed the passengers to stay in their seats. Six FBI and other law enforcement agents came on the plane and went directly to Davis and placed him in handcuffs. He alleges that he was removed from the flight in front of his wife and children and that the incident left him “humiliated.”

“I was — and remain — humiliated, embarrassed, powerless and angry,” Davis wrote.

Law enforcement officials let him go, after discussing the incident, without any charges and he stated they told him they would support him “in any way possible.”

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A post shared by Terrell Davis (@therealterrelldavis)

United Airlines issued a statement regarding the incident.

“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,” United said. “We have removed the flight attendant from duty while we closely review this matter.”

Davis’ attorneys, the law firm of Stinar Gould Grieco & Hensley, responded to United’s statement, according to CBS Colorado. “Your response — a quick, non-personal apology and ‘removing from duty’ of the flight attendant — does not right this wrong,” before concluding by saying that the situation was “horrific, traumatic, embarrassing, and humiliating” for Davis and for his family members.