Odell Beckham Jr. was removed from a flight at Miami International Airport on Sunday after police say the free agent wide receiver was “in and out of consciousness” and refused to leave the airplane when asked.
According to a statement from the Miami-Dade Police Department obtained by multiple outlets, officers were called to the airport for a medical emergency after the flight crew expressed concern that Beckham was seriously ill.
“The flight crew was concerned for a passenger [Mr. Odell Beckham], as they tried to wake him to fasten his seat belt, he appeared to be coming in and out of consciousness, prior to their departure,” the police statement said. “Fearing that Mr. Beckham was seriously ill, and that his condition would worsen through the expected 5 hour flight, the attendants called for police and fire rescue. Upon the officers arrival, the flight crew asked Mr. Beckham several times to exit the aircraft, which he refused.”
Police said the airplane was evacuated and that Beckham ultimately got off the plane when asked by officers. Social media video appeared to show Beckham walking into the terminal with police officers.
Beckham appeared to address the incident in a series of tweets Sunday morning, writing “Never in my life have I experienced what just happened to me… I’ve seen it alll..” and calling the situation “comedy hr.”
American Airlines, which was operating the Miami-to-Los Angeles flight, also released a statement saying the plane returned to the gate due to “a customer failing to follow crew member instructions and refusing to fasten their seatbelt.” The flight took off almost two hours after initially scheduled.
Police said Beckham made other arrangements after being removed from the flight. He was not arrested in the incident.
Beckham, who has not played this season while recovering from a torn ACL suffered in last season’s Super Bowl, was expected to meet with teams this week ahead of a possible signing.
The Dallas Cowboys are believed to be the front-runners to sign Beckham, with the Kansas City Chiefs, Buffalo Bills and San Francisco 49ers also in the mix.