NFL wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr was removed by police from an aircraft before takeoff at Miami International Airport after officials said he failed to respond to requests to buckle his seatbelt and appeared to be unconscious, police and airline officials said on Sunday.
“Fearing that Mr Beckham was seriously ill, and that his condition would worsen through the expected five-hour flight, [aircraft crew members] called for police and fire rescue,” Miami-Dade Police Department said in a statement. “As they tried to wake [Beckham] to fasten his seat belt, he appeared to be coming in and out of consciousness.”
An American Airlines spokesperson confirmed that Flight 1228, bound for Los Angeles, returned to the gate before takeoff “due to a customer failing to follow crew members’ instructions and refusing to fasten their seat belt.”
Other passengers reboarded and the flight departed later for Los Angeles.
A Twitter post attributed to Beckham appeared to refer to the incident, saying, “Never in my life have I experienced what just happened to me.”
Never in my life have I experienced what just happened to me… I’ve seen it alll..
— Odell Beckham Jr (@obj) November 27, 2022
Police said Beckham “was escorted to the non-secure area of the terminal by the officers where he made other arrangements.”
Beckham’s attorney, Daniel Davillier, said the incident had been “completely unnecessary”.
“At no time was Mr Beckham disruptive or combative,” Davillier said. “He was willing to comply with the seatbelt requirement, but the flight attendant wanted to prove that he had the authority to have Mr Beckham removed from the flight.”
Beckham, 30, is a three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver who has been a free agent since helping the Los Angeles Rams win the Super Bowl last February. He caught a touchdown pass before tearing a knee ligament in that 23-20 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals.
Beckham has been reported to be near a return to the league and the Dallas Cowboys have said they want to sign him. Several other teams are expected to pursue Beckham, who had been at the center of controversy in previous stops with the New York Giants and Cleveland Browns.