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Chicago fires two airport police officers who dragged David Dao off United Airlines flight

The use of force against Dao became a public-relations nightmare for United Airlines, which settled a lawsuit with him

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Dr David Dao is violently hauled off a United flight from Chicago. The two officers involved were fired by the Chicago Department of Aviation. Photo: Twitter

The Chicago Department of Aviation has fired two security officers for their roles in the forcible removal of a passenger on a United Airlines flight in April, an incident that provoked international outrage.

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The firings were included in a report on the incident released on Tuesday by the Chicago Office of the Inspector General.

David Dao, a 69-year-old Vietnamese-American doctor, was hospitalised after aviation officers dragged him from a United Airlines plane to make space for four crew members on the flight from Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport to Louisville, Kentucky.

Videos of Dao being dragged down the aisle of the jet sparked public outcry.

Demonstrators protest United Airlines at O'Hare International Airport on April 11, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The protest was in response to airport police officers physically removing passenger Dr David Dao from his seat and dragging him off the plane. Photo: AFP
Demonstrators protest United Airlines at O'Hare International Airport on April 11, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. The protest was in response to airport police officers physically removing passenger Dr David Dao from his seat and dragging him off the plane. Photo: AFP
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“As we have clearly stated, the department is taking every action in our power to ensure that an incident like this never, ever occurs again,” Lauren Huffman, deputy commissioner of communications for the Aviation Department, said in a statement.

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