Ex-NFL Player Charged After Getting Into Bloody Brawl With Airline Worker Over Wheelchair

An ex-NFL player was charged with assault and an airline employee fired following a fight between the athlete and a United Airlines employee at Newark Liberty Airport in New Jersey.

A video of the altercation was released online and quickly went viral. The video showed Brendan Langley coming to blows with the employee in what appears to be the ticketing and check-in area.

The video was captured by a bystander and released by TMZ.

In the video above, Langley and the worker were already hitting each other in anger when recording began.

The worker pushed Langley, who responded by slapping the worker.

They proceeded to punch each other as the fight escalated. Eventually, the employee was knocked over and fell behind the counter.

As the employee stood, his head was bloodied. Despite this, he looked like he was ready to go for another round with Langley.

Then the video ends leaving viewers with a lot of questions.

The police said Langley, a former kick returner for the Denver Broncos, was arrested on an assault charge related to the incident. While the United Airlines worker has not been charged yet, he was fired by the airline.

While it may be difficult to tell from this video, some alleged witnesses are saying Langley didn’t throw the first punch. He claimed—and some versions of the video seem to show—the employee is the one who attacked first.

This whole thing started because Langley was using a wheelchair to haul his luggage throughout the airport instead of a cart.

While an incredibly ableist thing to do, it probably shouldn’t lead to a violent brawl.

Langley took to Twitter to plead his case.

Langley currently plays in the Canadian Football League for the Calgary Stampeders.

The team is looking into the situation and refuses to comment without more details.

As for the wheelchair at the root of the confrontation, disabled individuals rely on them for mobility. Using them as carts can leave an injured or disabled person stranded.

Get a luggage cart or carry your own stuff.