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Security officers fired over passenger's removal from United flight

By Sara Shayanian
Four security officers were fired for their response to a passenger removal aboard a United Airlines flight in April. File photo by Brian Kersey/UPI
Four security officers were fired for their response to a passenger removal aboard a United Airlines flight in April. File photo by Brian Kersey/UPI | License Photo

Oct. 18 (UPI) -- Two security officers have been fired for an incident in April in which they physically removed a passenger from an overbooked United Airlines flight out of Chicago.

The Chicago Office of the Inspector General concluded in a report that four Chicago Department of Aviation employees mishandled a non-threatening situation aboard United Airlines Express Flight 3411 to Louisville, Ky., on April 9.

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The officers were called when the airline chose four passengers to be removed from the plane to make room for a flight crew. One of the passengers, David Dao, resisted being bumped from the overbooked flight.

Dao was wrested from his seat and dragged through the center aisle, receiving a broken nose and a concussion.

"CDA terminated the aviation security officer who improperly escalated the incident and an Aviation Security Sergeant found to have been involved in the deliberate removal of material facts from an employee report," the report said.

"CDA, in accordance with OIG findings and recommendations, suspended two other aviation security officers involved in the incident and its aftermath," it continued.

The report emphasized that the intent of the CDA should be to provide "security services for airport staff and passenger safety, not police services." It also said a review of the department's policies should be complete by early next year.

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