Hall of Fame running back Terrell Davis said he was handcuffed and removed from a plane Saturday after a false accusation by a flight attendant.
Davis, who had a 2,000-yard rushing season and won two Super Bowls with the Denver Broncos, issued a statement with his side of the story on Instagram Monday.
Davis, 51, said he was on a United Airlines flight from Denver to Orange County, California, on Saturday with his wife and three children when one of his sons asked a flight attendant for a glass of ice.
“The flight attendant either didn't hear or ignored her request and continued on,” Davis wrote. “I calmly reached back and tapped her arm to get her attention and again ask for a glass of ice for my son. Her response and the events that followed should leave us all stunned.”
According to Davis, the flight attendant yelled, “Don't hit me!” in response.
“I was confused, as were the passengers in front of me who witnessed the exchange,” he continued. “I thought nothing of it other than that this particular employee had been incredibly rude and completely wrong to accuse me of hitting him.”
Davis said she had no further interactions with the flight attendant, but when the plane landed, the pilot asked all passengers to remain seated.
Davis said six FBI agents and local authorities boarded the plane and handcuffed him in front of his family and then removed him from the flight.
“I felt – and still feel – humiliated, ashamed, powerless and angry,” Davis wrote.
After explaining the situation to authorities, Davis said they determined the flight attendant had been “inaccurate” and officers apologized to him and let him go.
United Airlines said in a statement that it has reached out to Davis' team to apologize and has removed the flight attendant from her duties while they review the incident.
“This is clearly not the type of travel experience we strive to provide,” the statement said.
FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said in a statement that agents and law enforcement partners at John Wayne Airport in Orange County responded to a report of an incident aboard a flight and detained and later released a cooperative individual.
Concluding her Instagram post, Davis demanded an investigation into the flight attendant “who blatantly lied and caused undue harm to me and my family.”
Parker Stinar, Davis' attorney, said in a statement: “We plan to fully investigate the events that took place and are actively contacting United Airlines in this matter.”
Davis played from 1995 to 2001 with the Broncos, who selected him in the sixth round in 1995. He rushed for 7,607 yards and 60 touchdowns, including 2,008 yards and 21 TDs during his MVP season in 1998. He helped Denver win Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2017.
