Denver Broncos Hall of Famer Terrell Davis ‘In Shock’ After Being Handcuffed on Flight

FBI agents detained Denver Broncos Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis over the weekend after an incident during a United Airlines flight from Denver to John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California.

Davis explained the situation on social media after he was released, saying that he was “stunned” by what happened. He said he tapped a flight attendant on the arm to help with a request from his son, who was sitting next to him, and the flight attendant acted in what Davis said was a “rude” manner.

A statement released by the FBI’s Los Angeles office didn’t identify Davis by name, but said their agents and local police in Orange County “responded to a report about an incident that had occurred aboard a flight which required further investigation.” The statement said the person who was detained “was cooperative with law enforcement and was released to continue his travels.”

Davis said he was “in shock over the traumatizing events.” He said he was traveling with his wife, two sons and daughter.

“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 to again ask for a cup of ice for my son,” Davis wrote in the social media post.

Davis said that right after he tapped the flight attendant on the arm, the man shouted, “Don’t hit me,” and moved to another part of the plane. Davis said the flight attendant was “incredibly rude and blatantly wrong in his accusations of me hitting him,” and he didn’t interact with the attendant for the rest of the flight.

Davis said the captain asked everyone to remain seated before they were allowed to deplane and that’s when the law enforcement officers boarded, handcuffed Davis and escorted him away without providing a reason why.

He said that, while he was questioned in the airport, the FBI agents told him that they agreed that the flight attendant made an inaccurate accusation, apologized and then released him.

Davis said he is “humiliated, embarrassed, powerless, and angry.”  

“I refuse to stand by without speaking out on this disgusting display of injustice and deplorable treatment by United Airlines,” Davis said, noting that his legal team was reaching out to the airline.

“I demand a thorough and proper investigation into the flight attendant who blatantly lied and placed undue harm on me and my family,” he said.

An attorney for Davis, who noted litigation was likely to be pursued in the matter, said the FBI questioned other passengers and United crew members before apologizing and letting Davis go.

In his post, Davis said that it was a traumatizing experience for his wife and children that “cannot be undone.”

Davis became a businessman after retiring from the NFL in 2001. He is a partner in financial firm Alpha 1. 

Metropolitan State University of Denver marketing senior lecturer Darrin Duber-Smith said he didn’t “really see any long-term impact on Terrell or what he’s doing.” 

“It’s a very long time in culture, so you know, he’s not a current star. He’s got a business. It’s not exactly well known, it’s not a consumer business,” said Duber-Smith. “He doesn’t have a consumer goods company, so he doesn’t have to worry about being thrown off shelves or anything. It’s very clear that really he was the victim in this whole thing.”

But United Airlines has to make amends, Duber-Smith said. 

“I think that at this point the reputational issue is more of a united issue than anything that Terrell Davis really has here,” Duber-Smith said. “United’s done the right thing so far. But they’re going to have to negotiate with TD, see what he wants, because, you know, being taken into custody is something that you never forget. It’s a low point in your life.”

“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 Airlines said in a statement to CBS Colorado. “We have removed the flight attendant from duty while we closely review this matter.”

Davis signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent in the mid-1990s and retired due to injuries seven seasons later. He is in the Broncos Ring of Fame as well as the Pro Football Hall of Fame. In 1998, he was named MVP of Super Bowl XXXII. That year, he had a 2,000 rushing yard season, something very few running backs have achieved.

This story was originally published by CBS News on July 16, 2024, and written by Jesse Sarles and Alan Gionet.

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