Ok, let's talk legality - since when is assault legal? Where in the contract of purchasing an airline ticket does it say that "violence may be employed on customers at will"?
At the heart of this matter is whether service providers can not only deny service but can physically harm individuals who are not committing any violent act or threat, for the sole purpose of maximizing profit.
What do you think, Sweetie?
The man was not compliant with Federal Police and re-entered the secure area without authorization after being told not to.
The should have hammer locked the asshole and “helpfully walked” him into the terminal, and Federal custody.
“Ok, let’s talk legality - since when is assault legal?”
What assault?
The one by this moron on the POLICE?
This idiot, who will now get very rich for committing several crimes that would put you in jail, deserved everything that happened to him, and also should end up in jail.
First, after deboarding, he ran back down the jetway and into the cabin, screaming and yelling up and down the aisle. Crime number one. Try running down the jetway and see where you end up.
Then he plops in a seat and refuses to leave, whereupon United employees call the police. This idiot tells the police that they will have to drag him off the airplane. So they oblige. He fights back. Crime number two - assault on a police officer.
Crime number three - interfering with the operation and crew of an airliner.
Now imagine if they gave in to this criminal and left him on the plane. And they pick YOU as his replacement. I guess you would be happy with that.
And then with this criminal onboard with unstable behavior - would you be comfortable at 30,000 feet waiting for this time bomb to go off again, probably because he didn’t get a meal or free drink?
The only mistake United made was having the CEO Munoz apologize for this miscreant and throw his own employees and the police under the bus. Do you think the Chicago airport police are going to respond positively when United calls for them on the next disruptive moron?
Jail this jerk, and put him in a cell with Hillary Clinton and Susan Rice.