Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis believes race played role in handcuffed removal from United flight

Corridor of Fame working again Terrell Davis stated Wednesday he believes race performed a figuring out think about his current elimination, in handcuffs, from a United Airways flight after he requested for a cup of ice.

Davis, a former Denver Broncos star and two-time Tremendous Bowl champion, stated he is nonetheless traumatized by the incident aboard a flight to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California, on Saturday.

He stated he believes race performed a task within the incident.

“I imagine if I weren’t a Black man, I wouldn’t have been in handcuffs till they came upon precisely what occurred,” Davis instructed NBC Information.

Davis, 51, was on the United flight from Denver when his son requested for a cup of ice and a passing flight attendant didn’t reply, he stated.

Davis stated that he then “evenly tapped” on the flight attendant’s arm to get his consideration and that the flight attendant shouted, “Don’t hit me.”

The flight went on with out additional incident — however as soon as it landed, a half-dozen FBI brokers and sheriff’s deputies boarded and took Davis away in handcuffs, he stated.

United Airways apologized this week and took the flight attendant off obligation whereas it evaluations the incident.

“That is clearly not the sort of journey expertise we try to supply, and now we have reached out to Mr. Davis’s workforce to apologize,” United stated in a press release.

Davis stated he believes that if he weren’t Black, he nonetheless would have been questioned however most likely not faraway from the flight in handcuffs.

“Yeah, would they’ve come on to the airplane and perhaps … stroll me off and detain me? Most likely. I’ve seen that occur,” he stated. “However to place the cuffs on me and never give me my due course of?”

He criticized United, alleging it did ask for his facet of the story earlier than it referred to as authorities and touched off a sequence of occasions that ended with him handcuffed.

Davis stated he is grateful for a passenger seated in entrance of him who, he stated, witnessed the encounter and instructed authorities it was not violent incident.

“What if my solely witness was not on that airplane? What if he didn’t see it. What if he had headphones on?” Davis stated. “So now it is my phrase towards the flight attendant. How do you assume that ends?”

The FBI confirmed that brokers responded to “an allegation of a violent assault aboard” the United flight.

“One particular person was detained for questioning, was cooperative with regulation enforcement and was launched to proceed his travels,” the FBI stated in a press release.

Davis stated he and the opposite passenger gave their facet of the story to authorities, who decided “that this flight attendant was inaccurate in his accusations.” The FBI brokers “profusely apologized” once they launched him, Davis stated.

Davis’ spouse, Tamiko Davis, fought again tears questioning out loud in an interview what their three youngsters will need to have been pondering seeing their dad being handcuffed and brought away.

“Sadly, due to the colour of your lovely pores and skin, your experiences on this world are going to be completely different, and sadly at 13, 11 and 9 you’ve got had an expertise,” she stated, choking again tears. “That is what we have been saying.”

She added: “This sadly was a tough lesson for our household. It was a harsh reminder of the kind of world that they dwell in.”

Terrell Davis performed seven seasons within the NFL, all for the Broncos.

His comparatively quick profession had a profound impression on the three-time champion Broncos, a franchise that had been finest recognized for going 0-4 within the Tremendous Bowl earlier than Davis arrived in Denver.

He led the NFL in dashing touchdowns in 1997 and 1998, with 15 and 21, respectively. He rushed for a league excessive 2,008 yards in 1998, main Denver to its second consecutive Tremendous Bowl title.

Davis — MVP of the 1998 Tremendous Bowl — was inducted into the Professional Soccer Corridor of Fame in 2017.