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Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis took to his Instagram account to describe an incident that occurred on a United Airlines flight from Denver to California and left him, according to him, “humiliated, ashamed, powerless and angry.”
Davis was traveling with his wife and three children on Saturday and said he “lightly tapped” the flight attendant to get her attention when she either ignored or didn’t hear the former running back’s son’s request for a cup of ice cream.
According to Davis, the flight attendant then yelled, “Don’t hit me,” before leaving the area and was not seen for the rest of the flight.
Then, according to Davis’ Instagram statement, the pilot told everyone to remain seated after landing. When the plane landed, six FBI agents and local police officers entered the plane to handcuff the 51-year-old and escort him off the plane.
“The traumatic experience of my two sons, my daughter and my wife watching me being handcuffed – without due process or any explanation – cannot be undone,” Davis said.
Mark Puleo of The Athletic shared a statement from United Airlines saying, “This is clearly not the type of travel experience we aim to provide, and we have reached out to Mr. Davis’ team to apologize.”
The statement also said the flight attendant in question has been relieved of his position while the situation is investigated.
Parker Stinar, Davis’ lawyer, wants more than just an apology.
“An apology without actions is just words,” Stinar told TMZ Sports. “… It doesn’t really address the situation. We can’t right the wrong.”
Stinar also told TMZ Sports that legal action against United was being considered.
Davis was one of the NFL’s best running backs in the 1990s, playing his entire seven-year career for the Denver Broncos after they selected him in the sixth round of the 1995 NFL Draft.
He was a two-time Super Bowl champion, one-time Super Bowl MVP, three-time first-team All-Pro, and three-time Pro Bowler. He was also named league MVP in 1998 while rushing for 2,008 yards and 21 touchdowns, and was twice named Offensive Player of the Year.
The Broncos legend was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a member of the class of 2017.
