CNN
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NFL free agent wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. was removed from a Los Angeles-bound American Airlines flight Sunday morning at Miami International Airport after refusing to comply with safety protocol, according to a statement from the Miami-Dade Police Department.
In a statement obtained by CNN affiliate WVSN, Miami-Dade police said officers were dispatched when the American Airlines flight crew was concerned for Beckham’s well-being after he would not comply with requests to fasten his seatbelt.
Crew members said Beckham “appeared to be coming in and out of consciousness,” according to police, who said they were initially called to the plane for a “medical emergency.”
Beckham refused to exit the plane when police and fire officials arrived, police said.
According to police, the aircraft was then deplaned. Beckham then complied without incident to officers’ requests to exit the plane.
“American Airlines flight 1228, with service from Miami (MIA) to Los Angeles (LAX), returned to the gate before takeoff due to a customer failing to follow crew member instructions and refusing to fasten their seatbelt. The customer was removed, and the flight re-departed at 10:54 a.m. local time,” American Airlines said in a statement obtained by CNN.
Beckham is currently a free agent as he continues to recover from surgery to repair a knee injury suffered in Super Bowl LVI as a member of the Los Angeles Rams in February. Beckham had a touchdown catch in the Rams’ winning effort over the Cincinnati Bengals in that game.
No charges have been filed in this incident and after being escorted by officers to the terminal’s non-secure area Sunday morning, Beckham then “made other arrangements,” police say.
Beckham was spotted in Miami sitting courtside at the Miami Heat-Washington Wizards game Wednesday night, according to video posted on the NBA’s official Twitter account.
CNN reached out to Beckham’s agent for comment Sunday afternoon.
