Chicago Aviation Officer Who Dragged Man From Plane Sues United, City

A former Chicago aviation police officer who helped drag a 69-year-old male passenger off a parked United plane last year in an incident that drew international outrage is suing the airline and the city that fired him. James Long, one of several officers involved in removing David Dao from the April 9, 2017, flight to make room for airline employees, filed suit on Tuesday against United, Chicago's Department of Aviation and its commissioner, Ginger Evans. The lawsuit alleges he was not properly trained on how to use force. Video footage recorded by other passengers showed Dao being dragged by Chicago aviation police, including Long, down the aisle of the plane. United originally blamed the incident on having overbooked the flight, and subsequently changed its policy on how to handle overbooked flights. Long was fired by the city following the incident. In the suit, Long maintained he had used "minimal but necessary force" to remove Dao and that United knew or should have known that the involvement of aviation police in the incident could result in "the use of physical force."<br/>