The news of the scorpion sting could not have come at a more coincidental time than this week, days after a United passenger was forcibly dragged from his flight to Chicago. Travel and public-relations experts say United has fumbled the situation from the start, but its impossible to know if the damage is temporary or lasting.
On Wednesday, he apologised to Dao, his family and United customers in an ABC News interview, saying the company would no longer use law enforcement officers to remove passengers from overbooked flights.
The eight-legged, honey-colored stowaway had somehow made it into the plane's overhead compartment - likely crawling out of someone's luggage, the outlet reports.
Mr Demetrio called the apology "staged" and a response to the airline executive's earlier comments, which were heavily criticised by many.
He then says he had flown from Los Angeles, and has had a long flight.
In fact, United CEO Oscar Munoz's comments about that issue - accusing the Middle Eastern competition of being "branding" for their home countries, instead of a real airline - appear in a new ad spot by Emirates.
"They have treated us less than maybe we deserve".
The attorney was unable to say precisely how Dao was injured.
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In short, consent decrees are an important way to promote transparency and hold law enforcement accountable. He cited interviews with about a half dozen Latino business owners, who said they had no complaints.
His daughter says the family was "horrified, shocked and sickened" to learn and see what happened.
John Slater, a United vice president, said bumping passengers to accommodate airline employees happens infrequently, and that federal guidelines requiring rest for crew members made it necessary to get the employees on the Sunday flight to Louisville. And this afternoon, officials from the city's Department of Aviation testified at city hall about the officers' actions.
The passenger forcefully removed from a United Airlines flight this week has a concussion and broken nose, his attorney told reporters Thursday, adding that the 69-year-old physician will file a lawsuit.
Due to the concussion, Demetrio said that passenger David Dao has no recollection of the incident, and was released from the hospital on Tuesday night.
At a City Council hearing Thursday, Alderman Mike Zalewski said "there are no excuses" for what occurred after Dr. David Dao refused to give up his seat Sunday.
The embattled airline, which sparked nationwide outrage for its treatment of a passenger who refused to give up his seat on an overbooked flight, offered refunds or travel vouchers to customers on the flight.
The lawyer said they have taken the first legal steps toward filing a lawsuit. On Wednesday they filed an emergency motion in Cook County Circuit Court asking a judge to ensure the airline and city preserve surveillance video showing passengers boarding Flight 3411 to Louisville.
The Aviation Department's roughly 300 officers guard the city's two main airports but are not part of the regular Chicago police force, receive less training and can not carry guns inside the terminals.
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