A Halifax air passenger rights advocate says excessive force should never be used to handle incidents involving involuntarily bumped passengers.
“I’m profoundly shocked, appalled by what I’ve seen. No human being should be treated that way,” said Gabor Lukacs, a well-known activist.
Lukacs’ words reference a male passenger on United Airline flight 3411 who was forcibly dragged off the plane after refusing to voluntarily leave the aircraft.
The incident happened on Sunday during a scheduled flight from Chicago to Louisville.
Passengers on the flight recorded the man being physically removed from his seat by police.
READ MORE: Here’s everything we know about the man dragged off the United Airlines flight
Videos of it all unfolding have been circulated online and have sparked wide-spread public outrage, a reaction that doesn’t shock Lukacs.
“It was not about him (the passenger) endangering everybody, it was not about him disturbing the peace; it was simply showing him, we are the boss and that is why people are appalled,” he said.
“What happened here was a power trip on the part of their employees.”
‘Clearly a civil dispute’
Halifax Regional Police won a contract in 2016 to provide armed response and policing services to Halifax Stanfield International Airport for the next five years.
Part of their contractual duties include providing general emergency and intervention services.
While an incident like United has never occurred in Halifax, Lukacs said he doesn’t believe police should be called into handle what he feels are “civil disputes.”
“It was a prime example of excessive use of force and police inserting themselves into what is clearly a civil dispute between two private parties and no disturbance of the peace.” he said.
The latest statement from United Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz states details of a review into the situation will be released by the end of April