I simply don’t think you are correct.
A business can boot anyone for just about anything and in this case the agreement when one buys a ticket is that any passenger can be bumped.
Doesn’t matter of one has boarded the plane or not.
And, let’s say it did matter, he was off the plane and ran back on without being boarded.
I am not condoning the airline policy or behavior of the airport cops.
I am pointing out another side of it that to my mind is obvious via-a-vis his childlike behavior.
Adults do not throw temper tantrums like a child in the terrible twos, even if being treated unfairly.
Actually, it does matter and that is the heart of the issue. In fact nothing else is relevant... it doesn't matter how he acted AFTER they abused him, it doesn't matter what his criminal past was, and it doesn't matter if he screamed when tased.
The ONLY thing that matters is the question of why UAL didn't deal with their employees' seating arrangements when they were supposed to do so... BEFORE boarding passengers and not after.
Even United doesn’t say they can boot paying passengers off a plane for whatever reason.
It was the United gate manager that was throwing the tantrum and saying screw the law, I’m in charge here...
A business can boot anyone for just about anything and in this case the agreement when one buys a ticket is that any passenger can be bumped.
I think there’s some bakers near Seattle that may disagree with that statement.