'Horrified and shocked': The daughter of the man dragged off a United flight speaks out
"We were horrified and shocked and sickened to learn what had happened to him and to see what had happened to him. We hope that in the future nothing like this happens again," Dao's 33-year-old daughter Crystal Dao Pepper, who is one of five children, said at a press conference on Thursday.
Pepper also thanked the public for the support the family has received.
"On behalf of my dad and my entire family, we would like to express our gratitude for the huge outpouring of prayers, love, and concern from all over the world these past few days. We would also like to thank the physicians, the nurses, and all of the hospital staff that has taken care of my dad," Pepper said.
"It has been a very difficult time for our entire family, especially my dad, and we are truly grateful for your support. What happened to my dad should have never happened to any human being, regardless of the circumstance," she said.
Tom Demetrio, one of the lawyers representing Dao, also joined Pepper at the press conference.
Demetrio said that the family is planning legal action against United, but that he and another attorney representing Dao are still doing their due diligence.
The incident happened Sunday evening in Chicago aboard a plane bound for Louisville. A fellow passenger recorded a video that showed Dao being yanked from his seat and dragged off the plane with blood on his face.
Demetrio said that Dao lost two front teeth, broke his nose, and suffered a concussion as a result of the incident, but was discharged from a Chicago hospital on Wednesday evening.
"My dad is a wonderful father. He has raised, with my mother, five great children, who have gone on to do great things and who will continue to do great things," Crystal said during the press conference. "He is a loving grandfather and at the end of the day that is the person who we are trying to take care of."