One of the security officers involved in the incident was suspended on Monday afternoon, pending a review, said the Chicago Department of Aviation in a statement.

The actions of the officer were “obviously not condoned by the Department”, the statement said.

United Airlines incident: What went wrong? – BBC News

A glimmer off reality peeks into the minds of the powers that be.

United CEO Oscar Munoz then made things worse with statement of Orwellian doublespeak. “This is an upsetting event to all of us here at United,” he said. “I apologize for having to re-accommodate these customers,” whatever that means.

…What sort of training United offers its personnel to manage such episodes isn’t known, but plainly it stinks.

What’s even more important is what this episode says about the terms and conditions of air travel in the United States. It’s in a bad way.

…How many businesses do you know of that can sell you a good or service, accept payment, and then withdraw that good or service unilaterally for their own purposes — much less by force?

…The airline decided to cheap out by not offering passengers payment that would be enough to free up more seats. Instead of paying the true value of moving its crew, it decided to impose that cost on one unfortunate passenger.

Then, as though to prove beyond doubt that it considered its passengers the expendable players in this drama, it summoned the Chicago police to do its dirty work. Something’s wrong with the intellects running United Airlines, and if there’s any justice in the world, now they’ll really pay.

United finds a new way to make itself — and the U.S. airline industry — look awful – LA Times

Yup. And the Chicago police need to rethink their draconian policies and behavior as well. HEre’s hoping every officer involved goes to jail for the inhumane  injustice they perpetrated to protect money over people.

While United’s customer service policies in this case are clearly heinous and absurd, let’s not forget to also cast blame on the police officers who actually committed the brutality on United’s behalf. NPR reports that the cops attacking the man “appear to be wearing the uniforms of Chicago aviation police.

“While there may be something to be said for the ability for private businesses to summon the help of the police to remove people from their premises if they refuse to leave peacefully and their presence is unwanted, there is no excuse for the police to cooperate when the reason their presence is unwanted is not “causing a disturbance” or being violent or threatening to other customers, or stealing goods or services, or doing anything wrong at all, but rather wanting to peacefully use the service they legitimately paid for.

Shame on both United for calling the cops on a passenger to make the lives of their employees and business easier, and shame on the police for having any part of it.

Why Should Police Help United Airlines Cheat Its Customers? – Hit & Run : Reason.com

Indeed. Apparently the Chicago PD are no different than thugs-for-hire by gangsters and organized crime. Fuck justice, reason, protecting the citizenry, and doing what is right. They’ll be violent with someone for no other reason than someone with a lot of money told them to.

Scum.