According to several reports former Denver Broncos defensive back Brendan Langley will not face charges after an incident with a United Airlines airport employee at Newark Liberty International Airport on May 19. The simple assault charge was dropped on Wednesday.
Video of the incident went viral. It shows the United Airlines employee slapping Langley and Langley defending himself by swinging and landing a punch on the man until he fell to the ground. The employee had blood on his face as he got up and confronted Langley again.
Langley’s attorney, Halim Dhanidina, said his client was simply defending himself after being harassed and struck first.
“We are grateful for the Court’s decision which puts an end to this ordeal that began nearly two months ago,” said Dhanidina, who works for Werksman Jackson & Quinn LLP. “When Mr. Langley was assaulted then wrongfully arrested and charged for exercising his rights under the law.”
The United Airlines employee was fired following the incident.
It has been a tough three years for most of the world’s population. A ranging global pandemic, increased economic insecurity, climate crisis, and extreme racial and political turmoil. Safe to say, many people are on edge.
Despite all of that, we can agree that what we don’t need more of is violence during these times. It solves nothing, and on top of that just adds to suffering.
Langley, who was clearly defending himself, was arrested and charged and had to hire a lawyer and deal with the legal system. His team, the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football League, suspended him indefinitely following his arrest.
The United Airlines employee, clearly in the wrong for instigating, got beat up and bloodied and lost his job.
Again, what did any of that scuffle solve? How is either person in a better position today?
Langley had every right to defend himself, so it’s not on him. But what was going on with the airline employee that he literally decided to choose violence that day?
The Denver Broncos selected Langley in the third round of the 2017 NFL draft after he played his college ball at Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas. He played 16 games in two seasons, used mostly as a special teams returner, before the Broncos moved him over to wide receiver in 2019.
He didn’t make the roster that season and has been out of the NFL since other than a brief stint on the Seattle Seahawks’ practice squad in January 2020.
It is unclear if money was withheld from Langley while he was suspended. If so, it would be the right thing for the Stampeders to pay him any and all back pay.
“The Stampeders take matters such as these very seriously,” John Hufnagel, the Stampeders president and general manager, said in a statement at the time of Langley’s arrest. After learning details of the incident including the filing of a criminal charge, we are indefinitely suspending Brendan Langley.”
Just as they took the filing of criminal charges very seriously, so too should they take the dismissal of said charges and that one of their employees was attacked and simply defending himself.
