Dr. David Dao, 69, is a Vietnamese-American father of five and a grandfather who specializes in internal medicine.
The passenger who was dragged off a United Airlines flight bound for Kentucky Sunday has been identified.
Read: Just Plane Wrong: Uproar Erupts After Passenger Is Knocked Out and Dragged Off United Flight
Dr. David Dao, 69, is a Vietnamese-American father of five and a grandfather who specializes in internal medicine.
Meanwhile United CEO Oscar Munoz has gotten heat for what some see as his "tone deaf" letter he sent to all airline employees that leaked Monday and was obtained by CNBC.
In the letter, he called the passenger "disruptive and belligerent" and praised the staff for going "above and beyond."
Munoz said that crew members "were left with no choice but to call Chicago Aviation Security Officers to assist in removing the customer from the flight."
He added: "I emphatically stand behind all of you."
The shocking video of a bloodied Dr. Dao being dragged down the aisle after refusing to give up his seat for a United employee has sparked outrage worldwide.
Social media has exploded with fury over the incident.
?'Volunteer' means “someone who does something without being forced to do it.” https://t.co/qNAcMyplhZ
— Merriam-Webster (@MerriamWebster) April 11, 2017
After that passenger was bloodied being dragged out of his seat, United asked if there was a doctor onboard. Awkward.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) April 11, 2017
Since they're dragging old Asian guys off of planes these days, be ready with your mobile devices to watch my performance.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) April 11, 2017
#United training video ? pic.twitter.com/Zugyhnlerg
— Aviation Memes (@Aviation_Memes) April 11, 2017
It happened just before takeoff on the Chicago-to-Louisville flight.
The plane was overbooked and four United employees needed seats. The crew asked for volunteers to take a later flight, but when no one came forward, four passengers were chosen at random by a computer and asked to leave.
Dr. Dao refused to leave, saying he was a doctor and had patients to see Monday morning.
After he was dragged off the plane, he somehow wound up back on the aircraft, shouting, “I want to go home" as blood poured from his mouth and streaked across his face.
Every passenger was ordered off so they could clean up the plane. The aircraft eventually departed.
The security officer seen dragging the doctor down the aisle has been suspended.
On Monday afternoon, the airline issued an apology for the "upsetting event."
"Our team is working with a sense of urgency to work with the authorities and conduct our own detailed review of what happened," United CEO Oscar Munoz said in a statement.
He added: "We are also reaching out to this passenger to talk directly to him and further address and resolve this situation."
United CEO response to United Express Flight 3411. pic.twitter.com/rF5gNIvVd0
— United (@united) April 10, 2017
Dr. Dao comes from a highly medical household. His wife, Teresa, 69, and two of their children — Tim, 34, and Christine, 33 — are also doctors. In addition, two of their other children are medical graduates — Ben, 31, and Angela, 27.
Read: Welcome Aboard! Crew Members on Turkish Airlines Flight Deliver Baby Girl in Midair
Since the incident, reports indicate that United Airlines has fallen more than $750 million in total value, according to Gizmodo.
The incident has also become the number one trending topic on Sina Weibo, China’s version of Twitter.
The story titled, "United Airlines forcibly removes passenger from airplane" has been read more than 95.5 million times in the country. Many Chinese users of Weibo called the incident discrimination and expressed their anger with the company.
Watch: Passenger Claims Cleavage Got Woman Booted From Florida-Bound Flight
