(Photo by Rick Kern/Getty Images for United Airlines)
After horrifying footage showed a 69-year-old Asian man being dragged off of a United flight, United CEO Oscar Munoz doubled down on the crew’s decision to remove the still-unidentified passenger, claiming he was “disruptive and belligerent.”
While Munoz initially issued a public apology saying he “apologized for having to re-accommodate these customers,” he later sent a private email to employees defending the crews’ actions, describing the man as “disruptive and belligerent.”
United CEO response to United Express Flight 3411. pic.twitter.com/rF5gNIvVd0
— United Airlines (@united) April 10, 2017
In the letter, while Munoz said he was upset about the incident, he claims the airline crew simply followed “established procedures.”
Munoz said the passenger “raised his voice and refused to comply” with the crew’s requests to leave the aircraft and became increasingly “disruptive and belligerent.”
The Chicago Department of Aviation said it did not condone the behavior of the security officer who was filmed slamming the man into an armrest. The cop was put on leave as his bosses condemned his actions amid mounting outrage over the video of 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
