Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Tuesday 11 april 2017
Video of passenger getting dragged off flight sparks uproar

across the armrest and the aircraft and another the manager, who was
dragging him down the video, showing the man, his African-American, Bridges
aisle by his arms. The airline lip bleeding and blood on said. “You should know
was trying to make room his mouth, chin and cheek what this is like,” the man
for four of its employees on and appearing dazed said, according to Bridges.
the Sunday evening flight as he said, “I want to go The AP was unable to con-
to Louisville, Kentucky. home, I want to go home.” firm the passenger’s iden-
Other passengers on Flight When airline employees tity.
3411 are heard saying, named four customers who Two officers tried to reason
“Please, my God,” ‘’What had to leave the plane, with the man before a third
are you doing?” ‘’This is three of them did so. The came aboard and pointed
wrong,” ‘’Look at what you fourth person refused to at the man “basically say-
did to him” and “Busted his move, and police were ing, ‘Sir, you have to get off
lip.” called, United spokesman the plane,’” Bridges said.
Passenger Audra D. Bridg- Charlie Hobart said. That’s when the altercation
es posted the video on “We followed the right pro- happened.
Facebook. Her husband, cedures,” Hobart told the One officer involved has
Tyler Bridges, said United Associated Press in a phone been placed on leave, the
offered $400 and then interview. “That plane had Chicago Aviation Depart-
This Sunday, April 9, 2017, image made from a video provided $800 vouchers and a ho- to depart. We wanted to ment said Monday.
by Audra D. Bridges shows a passenger being removed from a tel stay for volunteers to get our customers to their After the passenger was
United Airlines flight in Chicago. Video of police officers drag- give up their seats. When destinations.” removed, the four United
ging the passenger from an overbooked United Airlines flight no one volunteered, a Oscar Munoz, CEO of Unit- employees boarded the
sparked an uproar Monday on social media, and a spokesman United manager came on ed Airlines’ parent com- plane. “People on the
for the airline insisted that employees had no choice but to con-
tact authorities to remove the man. the plane and announced pany, described the event plane were letting them
(Audra D. Bridges via AP) that passengers would be as “upsetting” and apolo- have it,” Bridges said. “They
chosen at random. gized for “having to re-ac- were saying, ‘You should
CARYN ROUSSEAU airline insisted that employ- “We almost felt like we commodate these custom- be ashamed to work for this
DAVID KOENIG ees had no choice but to were being taken hos- ers.” He said the airline was company.’”
Associated Press contact authorities to re- tage,” Tyler Bridges said. conducting a review and A few minutes later, the
CHICAGO (AP) — Video move the man. “We were stuck there. You reaching out to the pas- man who was removed
of police officers drag- As the flight waited to can’t do anything as a senger to “further address from the plane returned,
ging a passenger from an depart from Chicago’s traveler. You’re relying on and resolve this situation.” looking dazed and saying
overbooked United Airlines O’Hare Airport, officers the airline.” The passenger told the he had to get home, Bridg-
flight sparked an uproar could be seen grabbing Bridges said that about 7 manager that he was a es said.
Monday on social media, the screaming man from or 8 minutes later the man doctor who needed to see In a video, the man can
and a spokesman for the a window seat, pulling him hurried down the aisle of patients in the morning, be seen standing in the
the plane to the back of Bridges said. aisle near what appears to
“He was kind of saying that be the rear of the aircraft.
he was being singled out Blood is on his mouth, chin
because he’s a Chinese and cheek as he repeated,
man” when speaking to “I want to go home.”q
Colorado police investigate after

officer throws woman to ground

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) cion of third-degree assault
— Fort Collins police have and obstructing a peace
launched an investigation officer and released on
after a video showed an bond. She could not be lo-
officer throwing a woman cated for comment.
face-first to the sidewalk af- In a statement Sunday
ter a scuffle in this university evening, police Chief John
town. Hutto said the video shared
Police earlier told the Colo- on social media does not
radoan newspaper that of- have the “context or con-
ficers were responding to tent of the full event.”
a fight between two men He said the incident was
near a bar when Colorado captured by police body
State University student Mi- cameras but he said he
chaella Surat struck the of- would not release that
ficer after police detained footage until after the in-
her boyfriend. vestigation is complete.
Police spokeswoman Kate “I am committed to pre-
Kimble said the officer used serving a process that en-
“standard arrest control” to sures a fair and impartial
control her. outcome.
A booking photo of Surat I am equally committed
released by police did not to preserving the rights of
show any visible injuries to both Ms. Surat and the in-
her face. volved officers,” he said.q
She was arrested on suspi-