NFL Hall of Famer Terrell Davis was arrested by FBI officials aboard a United Airlines aircraft over the weekend.
This allegedly had what appeared to be an incident that frequently occurs when black people travel.
On Saturday, while Davis and his family were traveling from Denver, Colorado, to Orange County, California, an incident occurred.
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Davis, 51, shared on Instagram how he was touching a flight attendant’s shoulder to gain his attention so he could ask for a cup of ice for his son when the attendant yelled: “Stop hitting me!”
After that, the flight attendant left and didn’t speak with Davis again during the entire flight.
According to Davis, six law enforcement officers from the FBI and the local police department boarded the aircraft as it landed at John Wayne Airport, put him in handcuffs, and took him off the flight.
“I felt and still feel angry, helpless, humiliated, and ashamed. It’s impossible to undo the upsetting experience my wife, two sons, and daughter had witnessing me put in handcuffs without any explanation or due process,” Davis wrote.
Davis claimed that, after being questioned, law enforcement officials apologized and concluded that no crime had been committed.
However, according to Davis’s IG post, race played a part in his treatment – the traumatic experience for his family and his sense of helplessness throughout the incident.
Davis stated that the story would have been different if he were a white man.
“They didn’t ask me any questions. I had no chance to even explain what happened if anything happened.”
His wife intervened, expressing how frightening the situation was at the time and complaining that Terrel was never “given an opportunity to ask questions or to challenge” what had occurred.
Agents and local law enforcement in Orange County “responded to a report about an incident that had occurred aboard a flight that required further investigation, ” the FBI said in a statement.
“He cooperated with law enforcement and was released to continue his travels,” the statement added.
Although Davis’ legal team has been in contact with United Airlines, the statement did not mention Davis by name. He went on to write that;
“I refuse to remain silent about this abhorrent demonstration of injustice and appalling treatment by United Airlines.”
Terrell Davis, who spent seven seasons as a member of the Denver Broncos before retiring in 2001, is regarded by many as one of the greatest running backs in NFL history.
He has been inducted into both the Pro Football Hall of Fame and the Broncos Ring of Fame. He is also currently a partner in the financial company Alpha 1 and a successful businessman.
