Doctor pulled off plane had criminal history
A VIETNAMESE-AMERICAN doctor who made worldwide headlines when he was hauled off a United Airlines flight was convicted of soliciting gay sex in exchange for prescriptions and lost his medical licence, it emerged yesterday.
Footage of David Dao, 69, being removed from the Kentucky-bound flight on Sunday caused a global sensation.
Oscar Munoz, the chief executive of United Airlines, has been criticised for an email supporting the staff as they acted to “re-accommodate” Dr Dao after he refused to leave an overbooked flight.
But last night Mr Munoz, apologised. “I continue to be disturbed by what happened on this flight,” he added, and said he had ordered a review.
The firm is reeling from the PR disaster that wiped hundreds of millions of dollars off its share value.
Yesterday it emerged that Dr Dao, who practises medicine in Kentucky, had previous run-ins with the law.
The doctor came to the US as a refugee, having studied medicine in Vietnam. He finished his training in California and later worked in a Michigan prison but quit after an inmate reportedly tried to strangle him with his stethoscope.
He moved to Kentucky, but in 2003 was charged with a number of counts of illegally prescribing and trafficking prescription painkillers.
The criminal complaint said Dr Dao would solicit sexual relations with a male patient in exchange for a prescription. His medical licence was suspended and he was convicted in November 2004 on six counts.
While barred from medicine, Dr Dao, a married father of five, turned to poker, TMZ reported, earning more than $230,000 (£184,000).
Last night his family issued a statement thanking the public for their support, saying that he remained in hospital in Chicago.
Dr Dao was reported to have been asked what his injuries were and to have replied “everything”, adding that he was “not doing well”.