“Are we going to just continue to be treated like cattle — bullied, rude treatment?” asked Mr. Demetrio, who placed the blame for his client’s injuries on a “culture of disrespect” at United Airlines<br />and overly aggressive tactics from Chicago aviation police officers.<br />United Airlines Passenger May Need Surgery, Lawyer Says -<br />By MITCH SMITHAPRIL 13, 2017<br />CHICAGO — In an hourlong news conference that touched on race, policing<br />and airline manners, a lawyer for the passenger dragged off a United flight on Sunday listed his client’s injuries: a broken nose, a concussion, two knocked-out teeth and sinus problems that may require reconstructive surgery.<br />“We have committed to our customers and our employees that we are going to fix what’s broken so this never happens again.”<br />Those assurances have done little to quell the outrage, visible in the phalanx of news cameras from around the world<br />that assembled Thursday to hear from Mr. Demetrio and Crystal Dao Pepper, one of Dr. Dao’s five children.<br />Mr. Demetrio said he thought the company’s apology had been “staged,”<br />and said he was not aware of any attempts by United officials to contact Dr. Dao.<br />“For a long time, airlines, United in particular, have bullied us,” the lawyer, Thomas A. Demetrio, said Thursday in downtown Chicago.
