Video showing police dragging passenger from United Airlines flight sparks outrage
By
Marcus Day
11 April 2017
Smartphone videos shot by passengers on a United Airlines flight showing a man being violently dragged from the plane Sunday evening quickly went viral on social media Monday, provoking widespread outrage against the airline and police. On Facebook, one of the videos of the disturbing incident was viewed nearly 9 million times in a little over 24 hours.
The United flight had been scheduled to depart Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport for Louisville, Kentucky, at 5:40 p.m. Sunday. However, United sought to bump several passengers from the flight, a practice which has become ubiquitous in the airline industry and a frequent source of stress and anxiety for travelers.
United staff initially said the flight was overbooked and offered those boarding a $400 voucher if they chose to voluntarily be bumped from the flight. When no one took the offer, employees then told passengers that four people would need to disembark in order for the plane to leave, and the voucher was raised to $800. It was also revealed that United was seeking to use the seats in order to transport four of its off-duty staff to their next shift.
After no one took the final “voluntary” offer, four passengers were selected, seemingly arbitrarily, to be forced from the flight. Three of them left reluctantly, while the fourth refused, telling staff that he was a doctor and had patients to see in Louisville in the morning.
Police were then called on to the plane, several in uniform and one in plainclothes. Videos of the incident begin with the officers standing around the man, who is sitting quietly. Within moments, two of the cops grab the man, who begins screaming, as do other…