Police footage from Odell Beckham Jr.'s plane incident shows officers telling Beckham he had to leave plane
For a few weeks during the 2022 NFL season, Odell Beckham Jr. was the hottest free agent on the market. Then, Beckham was involved in a weird incident in which he was kicked off a plane.
Details were scarce at the time. The police claimed Beckham was ill. American Airlines said Beckham refused to put on his seat belt. Beckham's attorney blamed the flight attendant.
Police footage from the incident was released Wednesday. It provides some insight into what happened with Beckham, but still leaves a lot of questions unanswered.
The footage, from WPLG Local 10 News in Florida, picked up as an officer boarded the plane and asked to speak with Beckham. It then showed footage of a flight attendant saying Beckham refused to put his seat belt on. Officers repeatedly tell Beckham it was not their decision, but that he would have to get off the plane.
Beckham then watched as every other passenger deplaned. One passenger confronted Beckham, who angrily responded, "That s*** don't mean nothing to me." After passengers left the plane, Beckham was escorted out by police.
Video: New Footage released of the incident with free-agent WR Odell Beckham being removed off a plane at Miami International Airport in November (@WPLGLocal10)https://t.co/4oPwLHae14pic.twitter.com/aD42s5xZ6m
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) January 11, 2023
The footage does not show what led to police being called in the first place.
American Airlines did not allow Beckham to re-board the plane or book a new ticket through the company, per WPLG Local 10.
The incident occurred as Beckham was in the midst of free-agent interviews with NFL teams. The Dallas Cowboys were among the teams interested in Beckham, but decided to go another direction, signing veteran T.Y. Hilton. The Buffalo Bills were also thought to be interested in Beckham, but decided to bring back Cole Beasley.
The Cowboys gave vague answers about medicals and financial demands when asked about not signing Beckham. He is recovering from a torn ACL that caused him to leave Super Bowl LVI.
It's unclear whether the plane incident played a role in Beckham not getting signed during the regular season.