How United Airlines responded to an NFL Hall of Famer’s accusations of mistreatment

Terrell Davis, a member of the NFL Hall of Fame and former running back for the Denver Broncos, announced Monday that he went through what he feels was a “humiliating, disturbing and traumatizing incident” during a recent trip with his family.

“During the beverage service, my son politely requested a cup of ice. The flight attendant either didn’t hear or ignored his request and continued past our row. I calmly reached behind me and lightly tapped his arm to get his attention. ... His response and the events that followed should stun all of us,” Davis wrote in a lengthy Instagram post .

According to The New York Times , Davis was traveling with his family from Denver to Orange County on a United Airlines flight.

What happened to Terrell Davis?

In his Instagram post, Davis said that the flight attendant seemed to misinterpret the tap.

“He shouted ‘don’t hit me’ and left the cart to hurriedly approach the front of the plane,” Davis wrote. “I was confused, as were the passengers in front of me who witnessed the exchange.”

He added that while he didn’t see the attendant during the remainder of the flight, he “thought nothing of it other than this particular employee was incredibly rude and blatantly wrong in his accusations of me hitting him.”

But when the plane landed, the former NFL Star was met by FBI agents and other law enforcement personnel.

In his Instagram post, Davis described the humiliation he felt while being escorted off the plane as multiple passengers recorded him. “I was — and remain — humiliated, embarrassed, powerless, and angry.”

He added that the agents later apologized for the situation.

“During questioning, it was rightfully determined by the agents that this flight attendant was inaccurate in his accusations and the agents profusely apologized,” Davis said on social media.

Spokespeople for the FBI and John Wayne Airport provided a statement on the incident to USA Today .

“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,” the statement said.

Davis said that he felt compelled to speak out about his experience and call out United Airlines.

“At this very moment, not even 48 hours later, we as a family are having to have hard conversations with each other about what transpired and answer the many questions that my children have,” he wrote. “I refuse to stand by without speaking out on this disgusting display of injustice and deplorable treatment by United Airlines.”

Apology from United Airlines

According to The New York Times , United Airlines has apologized to Davis in a 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,” the statement said.

United Airlines noted that the flight attendant involved in the incident has been removed from duty as company leaders investigate what happened, per The New York Times.

In an email to CNN , Parker Stinar, managing partner of the law firm representing Davis, said that the incident “is appalling and disturbing to say the least.”

“We plan on fully investigating the events that took place and are actively contacting United Airlines in this matter,” Stinar wrote.

Who is Terrell Davis?

Terrell Davis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017, per CNN , and is one of just eight running backs to “have rushed more than 2,000 yards in an NFL season.”

Davis helped the Broncos win two Super Bowl titles — one in 1998 and another in 1999, the article said.