Terrell Davis, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, reported that he was detained by authorities on Saturday in California after he “lightly” tapped a flight attendant’s arm to request a cup of ice. He described the experience as leaving him feeling “humiliated, embarrassed, powerless, and angry.”
Davis, 51, was flying from Denver to Orange County, California, with his family aboard a United Airlines flight. In a statement released by his lawyers, Davis explained that his son had asked for a cup of ice, but the flight attendant “either didn’t hear or ignored” the request.
In an effort to get the attendant’s attention, Davis said he “lightly tapped” the attendant on the arm. The attendant then shouted, “Don’t hit me,” and hurried to the front of the plane.
“I was confused, as were the passengers in front of me who witnessed the exchange,” Davis wrote in his statement. “I thought nothing of it other than this particular employee being incredibly rude and blatantly wrong in his accusations of me hitting him.”