A passenger was forcibly removed from a United Airlines flight by law enforcement on Sunday after refusing to give up his seat.

According to a person who says she was on the flight, the airline needed room on the overbooked aircraft to reposition crew for another flight. But when it couldn't find enough volunteers, even after offering $800, the airline selected several passengers to deplane.

The video quickly made its way around the internet and social media.

In a statement to Business Insider, United Airlines said:

"Flight 3411 from Chicago to Louisville was overbooked. After our team looked for volunteers, one customer refused to leave the aircraft voluntarily and law enforcement was asked to come to the gate. We apologize for the overbook situation. Further details on the removed customer should be directed to authorities."

*After this video was published, United Airlines provided the following additional statement to Business Insider:

“This is an upsetting event to all of us here at United. I apologize for having to re-accommodate these customers. Our team is moving with a sense of urgency to work with the authorities and conduct our own detailed review of what happened. We are also reaching out to this passenger to talk directly to him and further address and resolve this situation." – Oscar Munoz, United Airlines CEO





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