Two Officers Involved in Violent Assault of United Passenger David Dao Have Been Fired

By Rafi Schwartz  |  October 17, 2017 | 9:12pm
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More than seven months after United Airlines passenger David Dao was violently dragged off his flight at O’Hare International Airport, the Chicago Department of Aviation announced that two of the law enforcement officers involved in that incident have been fired.

After video of Dao’s assault went public in April, the Chicago Inspector General’s office conducted an investigation into the incident. The report, which was released on Tuesday, determined that four members of the Chicago Department of Aviation—James Long, Mauricio Rodriguez Jr., Steven Smith, and John Moore—“mishandled” Dao’s detention, and “deliberately removed material facts from their reports,” the Chicago Tribune reported.

Both Moore and one of the other three officers were fired. The remaining two were suspended. (Besides Moore, none of the the other three were connected to a specific disciplinary action by name.)

According to the Tribune, the Aviation Department also confirmed that its broader policies and procedures are being reviewed, with a subsequent report expected sometime in the first quarter of the coming year.

Dao—who suffered a concussion, broken nose, and the loss of his two front teeth during the incident—reached an “amicable” settlement with United Airlines for an undisclosed amount in late April.

Following Dao’s removal from the flight, and the uproar cased by the shocking video of the incident, United revised its policies around overbooked flights, including increasing the amount of money available to offer passengers to give up their seats.

 
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