April 10, 2017

Video Shows Officials Forcibly Removing Man on Overbooked United Airlines Flight

Flying the friendly skies.


United Airlines is under fire after footage emerged on social media Monday showing officials forcibly removing a man from an airplane bound for Louisville, Kentucky, by violently picking him up and dragging him down the aisle. The incident, which occurred at Chicago O’Hare International Airport, reportedly followed the airline’s routine attempt to solicit “volunteers” willing to give up their seats on an overbooked flight.

It’s unclear at this time who the officials worked for and whether they were employees of the airline or TSA.

Another passenger, Audra D. Bridges, shared a video of the hostile confrontation with the additional information that the passenger who was dragged down the aisle was a doctor who needed to get to a hospital in Louisville:

United Airlines confirmed the incident to NBC Charlotte with the following statement:

Flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville was overbooked. After our team looked for volunteers, one customer refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily and law enforcement was asked to come to the gate.

We apologize for the overbook situation.

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We just wrapped up a shorter-than-normal, urgent-as-ever fundraising drive and we came up about $45,000 short of our $300,000 goal.

That means we're going to have upwards of $350,000, maybe more, to raise in online donations between now and June 30, when our fiscal year ends and we have to get to break-even. And even though there's zero cushion to miss the mark, we won't be all that in your face about our fundraising again until June.

So we urgently need this specific ask, what you're reading right now, to start bringing in more donations than it ever has. The reality, for these next few months and next few years, is that we have to start finding ways to grow our online supporter base in a big way—and we're optimistic we can keep making real headway by being real with you about this.

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