United flight report released
CHICAGO: One of the police officers who forcibly removed a passenger from a United Airlines flight said ‘‘minimal but necessary force’’ was used in the incident that became a public relations disaster for the carrier, according to a report released this week.
Video recorded by passengers showed David Dao, a 69yearold doctor, being dragged down the aisle with blood on his face after refusing to give up his seat on a flight from Chicago to Louisville, Kentucky on April 9.
Dao suffered a concussion and a broken nose, lost two front teeth and is likely to sue the airline, said his lawyer, Thomas Demetrio.
Initially, United did not apologise to Dao and described him as ‘‘disruptive and belligerent’’. Some social media users in the United States, Vietnam and China called for a boycott.
The carrier has since apologised several times.
Demetrio called the aviation police’s version of events in the report as ‘‘utter nonsense’’.
In the first published version of events from the three officers involved, aviation police officer Mauricio Rodriguez said Dao became combative after he and two other officers tried to persuade him to leave the plane.
Rodriguez was the first officer on the scene.
Dao told the officers, ‘‘I’m not leaving this flight that I paid money for. I don’t care if I get arrested,’’ the report said.
Officer James Long said he arrived later and tried to pull Dao from his seat after further negotiations failed.
At that point Dao ‘‘started swinging his arms up and down with a closed fist’’.
Long said he lost control of Dao as he swung, causing Dao to fall and hit his mouth on an arm rest. Long then ‘‘assisted the subject by using minimal but necessary force’’ to get him off the aircraft, Rodriguez said.
Dao later ran back on the plane and held on to a pole, stating ‘‘Just kill me. I want to go home,’’ Rodriguez said.
Dao was then persuaded to leave so his injuries could be treated, Rodriguez said.
Officer Steven Smith, the third officer involved, gave a similar account.—