DENVER — Pro Football Hall of Famer Terrell Davis posted an email from United Airlines Tuesday saying he was banned from flying the airline until a review of an incident earlier this month was complete. But United officials said that ban was sent and then rescinded weeks ago.
Davis, who previously played for the Denver Broncos, said he was handcuffed and removed from a July 13 flight after he lightly tapped a flight attendant on the arm, prompting the employee to say “don’t hit me” and hurry off.
Davis, who was later released with apologies, has called out United for making him feel “humiliated” and demanded an investigation.
“My family will never unsee me, nor will I ever forget, being taken off an airplanes in handcuffs for simply asking for a cup of ice,” Davis wrote in Tuesday’s Instagram post.
The day after the incident, the email from United that banned Davis was generated and sent, United said in a statement. The ban was then rescinded the following day, which was communicated with Davis’ team, the airline said.
Davis’ attorney, Parker Stinar, said that Davis did not initially see the email banning him until recently and that they had not received any word that the travel ban had been rescinded until Davis posted the correspondence Tuesday.
“We have released the email because of the lack of response from United across the board,” said Stinar in a statement.
United Airlines said the flight attendant is no longer with the company, adding: “We have apologized to Mr. Davis for his experience and continue to review our handling of incidents like this.”
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Jesse Bedayn is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.