New Footage Shows United Passenger Before He Was Dragged Off Plane
New footage has emerged showing the argument between a United passenger and Chicago O’Hare Airport security guards moments before he was dragged from the plane on Sunday, April 9.
Joya Griffin Cummings captured this video of the passenger, who has since been identified as Dr David Dao of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, talking with the guards. Dao was also apparently in a telephone conversation with his lawyer and discussed suing United.
Dao was dragged from his seat and off the plane after the airline demanded four passengers be removed from the fully booked Louisville-bound flight to make space for four United employees. Videos shared on social media showed blood streaming from Dao’s face as he was dragged away and later when he briefly reboarded the plane.
United chief executive Oscar Munoz’s initial statement described the passenger’s behavior as “disruptive and belligerent” but in a new statement issued on April 11 he apologized and promised “we will work to make it right.”
In the footage here, Dao is seen calmly saying to security, “I am not going.”
Dao was taken to a Chicago hospital for treatment. One of the aviation security officers involved in the incident has been placed on leave, according to the Chicago Department of Aviation. Credit: Joya Griffin Cummings via Storyful
