Video: Elderly Man Forcibly Removed From United Airlines Flight

Screenshot from video uploaded to Twitter by @JayseDavid

Yesterday, a disturbing incident occurred on a flight from Chicago to Louisville. A man was dragged off a plane by police while other passengers looked on in horror and disbelief.

A few passengers recorded the incident.

You are probably wondering what this man did to deserve being yanked out of his seat and dragged off of that plane.

Well, you see, United Airlines overbooked that flight.

Audra D. Bridges, a passenger on the flight, told the Courier-Journal what happened:

Passengers were told at the gate that the flight was overbooked and United, offering $400 and a hotel stay, was looking for one volunteer to take another flight to Louisville at 3 p.m. Monday. Passengers were allowed to board the flight, Bridges said, and once the flight was filled those on the plane were told that four people needed to give up their seats to stand-by United employees that needed to be in Louisville on Monday for a flight. Passengers were told that the flight would not take off until the United crew had seats, Bridges said, and the offer was increased to $800, but no one volunteered.

Then, she said, a manager came aboard the plane and said a computer would select four people to be taken off the flight. One couple was selected first and left the airplane, she said, before the man in the video was confronted.

The man became very upset and explained that he was a doctor who needed to see patients at a hospital in the morning.

He was told that security would be called if he did not leave willingly, Bridges said, and the man said he was calling his lawyer. One security official came and spoke with him, and then another security officer came when he still refused. Then, she said, a third security official came on the plane and threw the passenger against the armrest before dragging him out of the plane.

The man was able to get back on the plane after initially being removed – his face was bloody and he seemed disoriented, Bridges said, and he ran to the back of the plane. Passengers asked to get off the plane as a medical crew came on to deal with the passenger, she said, and passengers were then told to go back to the gate so that officials could “tidy up” the plane before taking off.

“Everyone was shocked and appalled,” said Bridges, who posted a video of the incident on Facebook. “There were several children on the flight as well that were very upset.”

If you don’t get the chance to be harassed by TSA, no worries – you might be one of the lucky folks selected to be bumped from your flight, and if you resist, you’ll get a nice roughing-up by airport police! Of course, airlines overbook so they don’t lose money. Yes, they compensate passengers who are bumped, but they seem to disregard the urgency of a person’s trip – some people truly cannot wait for another flight.

In this case, passengers were bumped to accommodate employees, though. Seems like someone who was in charge of bookings really goofed up in a big way this time.

Passenger Jayse D. Anspach also recorded the altercation and posted it to Twitter using the hashtag #flight3411, and a lot of people had things to say about the incident.

@United overbook #flight3411 and decided to force random passengers off the plane. Here’s how they did it: pic.twitter.com/QfefM8X2cW

— Jayse D. Anspach (@JayseDavid) April 10, 2017

@vonstrenginho @OllieGlanvill @nickboorer @JayseDavid @hrtbps @united Amazing. We apologize for overbooking, not for physical assault on a passenger.

— Philippe Auclair (@PhilippeAuclair) April 10, 2017

Mental note to never fly @united just in case they overbook and randomly pick me & drag me off like a criminal. pic.twitter.com/ekNgx7oiRy

— Benjamin Dixon (@BenjaminPDixon) April 10, 2017

#flight3411

…and you still think you live in the land of freedom and liberty.

Really? pic.twitter.com/o25CfX0bc1

— epistionto (@epistionto) April 10, 2017

@united #flight3411 20 year customer. Logged into twitter for the first time in a year to let you know: You’ve lost my business for life.

— Bob Parker (@bobparker603) April 10, 2017

I always wondered what @united would look like if they treated their passengers half as badly as they threat their luggage. #flight3411

— Dan Just Dan (@DPoem) April 10, 2017

#flight3411 Flashback to 1980 America and put yourself in that mindset. Would you ever have imagined that America would become THIS?

— Jimmy The Toucan (@Jimmy_TheToucan) April 10, 2017

@AnGobanSaor @united Holy shit. They made him fucking bleed whilst dragging him off the plane?

When are @united going to get sued? #flight3411

— Kaaaaaaaaaaty Lawson (@MissKatyLawson) April 10, 2017

.@united Tired of waiting to deplane? Try express exit service. No more standing and waiting.Staff will drag you to the jetway! #flight3411

— jjtierney (@jjtierney) April 10, 2017

.Is this is how we do business in this country now? #flight3411 https://t.co/YgsSldHkEc

— Jude NagurneyCamwell (@Iddybud) April 10, 2017

@united How much extra is a ticket where I don’t have the chance of getting beaten up? #flight3411

— Timothy Smith (@tapsmith93) April 10, 2017

@united Do you think using law enforcement to remove a peaceful, innocent, paying passenger was a good idea now? #NeverUnited #flight3411

— Rob G (@StupidShdHurt) April 10, 2017

Jeez, just saw that video of #United #flight3411. Hey @united here is a tip, maybe don’t assault and batter your own PAYING customers #Smh

— Taylor Matysik (@Minntality) April 10, 2017

“You know what, we’ll even throw in a free asskicking” #Flight3411 https://t.co/fphpO27uWj

— The Hashtagonist (@TheHashtag0nist) April 10, 2017

I mean, seriously, if you’re *that* overbooked, you don’t commence boarding. #flight3411

— Dan Anderson (@dtanderson10) April 10, 2017

I really want to know who at @united decided it was a good idea to remove a paying customer from flight he had already boarded. #flight3411

— Dan Anderson (@dtanderson10) April 10, 2017

@united Here’s an idea: Keep raising the $ offer until you actually get enough people to volunteer. Whatever it is it’s bound to be less…

— ☪️ Charles Gaba ✡️ (@charles_gaba) April 10, 2017

And the award for the most tone-deaf response in the history of Twitter goes to…. Well done, @united! I’m impressed. #flight3411. https://t.co/s8G2AsXOqe

— Dan Anderson (@dtanderson10) April 10, 2017

So @united is basically saying; “We asked for volunteers and no one said yes, so we called the cops.” #6

— Anonymous (@USAnonymous) April 10, 2017

@united calling #Flight3411 overbooked is a lie. Their staff, not customers needed seats. That is a legally seated, paying customer. #NoMore

— David Bowlby (@davidwbowlby) April 10, 2017

#flight3411
If u purchase a @united airline ticket, u are automatically entered into their raffle to become a victim of police brutality. pic.twitter.com/KySjZgq4Bs

— The invisible man (@invisibleman_17) April 10, 2017

The airline had a Twitter campaign going under #UnitedJourney where they asked passengers to share photos of their “wanderlust” vacations, but it is backfiring in a spectacular way…

Regarding #Flight3411, United may want to unpin their tweet encouraging #UnitedJourney photo posts. It’s umm, not going well.

— Steve Feitl (@SteveFeitl) April 10, 2017

@weareunited Did the wanderlust for profits cause your company to assault an innocent passenger to cover your own overbooking? #unitedjourney

— rs_for the people (@rs_hott) April 10, 2017

fly @united folks, enjoy your #UnitedJourney pic.twitter.com/mrCLlgCHFY

— ? illy bocean ? (@IllyBocean) April 10, 2017

You’ll love our #UnitedJourney, even if we have to drag you through it. pic.twitter.com/8QVDqBUX0F

— SINDER (@gogetsinder) April 10, 2017

Love the new @United social media campaign! #wanderlust #UnitedJourney pic.twitter.com/4zJCv4sPaW

— Chris Creel (@chriscreel) April 10, 2017