An airline passenger charged with assault for allegedly fighting an employee at Newark Airport has been identified as former NFL player Brendan Langley.
The Daily Mail reported Monday that Langley was arrested Thursday following an altercation involving an unidentified United Airlines employee.
Video clips of the incident appeared to show the employee striking the first blow. However, Langley — who used to play in the NFL for the Denver Broncos — was the only person taken into custody.
“It is believed that the fight began when Langley used a wheelchair to transport his luggage, instead of a paid-for luggage cart which cost $5,” the Mail report said.
The outlet’s clip showed the scene unfold, and more footage posted online caught the moment the situation escalated, with one of the men ending up on the floor behind the counter.
The worker appeared to get in one hit before being pushed to the ground. Moments after getting back up on his feet, he approached Langley, who said, “He wants more!”
Meanwhile, a woman was seen walking toward the pair and waving her hand, seemingly trying to get them to separate. The passenger was eventually taken from the airport by police.
A longer version of the incident provided more context.
Social media users expressed their opinions of what happened, with one person writing, “Another reason I would rather drive than fly.”
“People need to stop with all the unnecessary violence. So sickening this is how people handle things now,” another commented.
United did not tell the Mail whether the employee had been disciplined for his role in the altercation, but a spokesman said, “United Airlines does not tolerate violence of any kind at our airports or on board our planes and we are working with local authorities to further investigate this matter.”
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