United Airlines has fired an employee who fought with a former NFL player at Newark Airport, and the football star himself is facing criminal charges.
Brendan Langley, 27, scuffled with a United Airlines employee last week, ultimately knocking the airline worker to the ground more than once. The employee is seen repeatedly returning to Langley and appearing to taunt him into an ongoing fight.
The video, which starts as the confrontation was already underway, shows the employee shove Langley, a former Denver Broncos cornerback.
Langley responds in kind and then some, unleashing several blows on the employee, who stumbles back on his feet.
The worker then raises his fists, signaling to Langley that he intends to fight, and slaps Langley across the face.
Langley then punches the employee hard enough to knock him to the floor, where he appears to hit his head.
The United worker, however, is undeterred: he gets back up and confronts Langley again.
“You want some more?” Langley could be heard shouting at the employee, and then, apparently to bystanders: “He wants some more!”
As for the onlookers, some could be heard repeatedly asking the men to stop fighting.
According to the Daily Mail, the fight started after Langley used a wheelchair to transport his luggage, instead of a luggage cart that cost $5.
Langley was ultimately removed from the airport by police, the Daily Mail also reported.
The former Bronco, who now plays for the Calgary Stampeders in the Canadian Football League, took to Twitter to tell his side of the story.
“[E]very angle shows me walking away from buddy, [I] had a whole ass flight that morning [I] did not want any smoke!” Langley wrote. “[H]e followed me all the way down to the kiosk just to cause me bodily harm. [I’]m honestly still shocked.”
The United employee worked for United Ground Express, the airline’s subsidiary connection service.
United Airlines confirmed that the employee, who has not been publicly identified, has been fired.
“United Airlines does not tolerate violence of any kind at our airports or on board our planes and we are working with local authorities in their investigation of this matter,” a United Airlines spokesperson told Law&Crime over email. “United Ground Express informed us that the employee has been terminated.”
According to law enforcement, Langley was charged in connection with the fight.
“The Port Authority confirms that Brendan Langley was involved in a physical altercation with a United Airlines employee at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 19 at approximately 11:03am and charged with simple assault and released on his own recognizance,” a spokesperson for the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the agency that oversees transportation infrastructure in the two states, told Law&Crime in an email.
The Port Authority did not respond to requests for information as to whether the employee will also face charges.
The Canadian Football League did not immediately respond to Law&Crime’s request for comment.
[Image via YouTube screengrab/ABC News.]