close
close

NFL legend Terrell Davis was handcuffed on plane in ‘humiliating, disturbing’ incident

NFL star Terrell Davis shared harrowing details of a recent incident on a United Airlines flight where he was dragged off the plane in handcuffs by police officers.

The legendary Broncos running back released a statement on Instagram about the “humiliating, disturbing and traumatizing incident” that occurred in front of his wife and children on board a flight from Denver to Orange County on Saturday.

Davis said he lightly tapped a flight attendant on the arm during drink service to get her attention after she overheard his son’s request for a cup of ice cream.

“His reaction and the events that followed should stun us all,” Davis wrote. “He yelled, ‘Don’t hit me,’ and exited the car, hastily approaching the front of the plane.”

The Pro Football Hall of Famer said the incident left him confused, as well as the passengers who witnessed the exchange. Davis thought nothing of it and had no further contact with the person during the flight.

When the plane landed, the pilot ordered all passengers to remain seated while six FBI and police officers boarded the plane, Davis said. He was then handcuffed in front of his family and led off the plane while several passengers filmed him.

“I was – and still am – humiliated, ashamed, powerless and angry,” he wrote. “During questioning, the agents correctly determined that this flight attendant’s allegations were inaccurate, and the agents apologized profusely and even offered to support me and my family in any way they could.”

Davis said United Airlines has not yet contacted him, adding that the trauma of his two sons, daughter and wife watching him being handcuffed without due process or explanation cannot be undone.

He called for a “thorough and proper investigation” into the incident and said his legal team would be in touch with United Airlines.

“These lies and the events that followed have the potential to damage the reputation I have built over decades,” the two-time Super Bowl champion wrote. “And this person should not be able to do this to anyone in the future.”

MORE SPORTS COVERAGE

Thank you for relying on us for journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting us with a subscription.