Chicago's Aviation Cops Will No Longer Be 'Police' Following Infamous Dragging Incident

By Stephen Gossett in News on Jul 12, 2017 9:59PM

Chicago Department of Aviation

The reverberations of the infamous dragging of a passenger from a United Airlines flight at O'Hare International Airport continue to emanate in Chicago. Chicago police—not Aviation Security Officers—have been designated as lead responders for disturbance calls at airports and on planes; and aviation officers will have markings on their uniforms and vehicles changed to reflect that they act as security, not police.

The determinations come in a report released on Wednesday by the Chicago Department of Aviation as it continues to deal with the fallout after Dr. David Dao was violently removed from a fully booked flight, in April.

The instruction for CPD officers to act as lead responders "rescinds the current directive guiding incident dispatch, and defines coordination on responses with the Chicago Police Department," according to the report.

Also, the uniform insignia and markings on aviation-security vehicles will be revamped to reflect their reduced role, according to the CDA report. The department "will take immediate action to replace the word 'police; with new security decals on department vehicles," the report states.

A directive had actually been issued in January for aviation officers to identify as security rather than as police, CDA Commissioner Ginger Evans told a City Council committee during an interrogation in April, but she declined to say why the change had not been made ahead of the Dao incident.

“The safety of our passengers has always been our top priority, and we are taking action to ensure that the policies and procedures are in place to deliver the most effective security responses," Evans said in a statement on Wednesday. "We are confident that these actions are necessary to guide our department forward, while improving clarity for the aviation security officers who play an integral role in maintaining safe and secure conditions for the traveling public at both of Chicago’s airports."

Dao, a 69-year-old doctor from Kentucky, suffered a broken nose and concussion and lost two front teeth in the dragging incident, according to his attorney. Dao told aviation officers he had patients to see the next day and refused to be bumped from the flight in order to make space for airline staff. United's initial responses to the dragging ignited a public-relations nightmare for the embattled airline. Dao settled with the airline for his injuries for an undisclosed amount. A total of four aviation officers were put on administrative leave pending investigation.