Originally Posted by
Gertrude the Wombat
That hasn't worked since Nuremberg. There's no way a private citizen (aka "rent-a-cop"), or even a real cop come to that, should be able to get away with that as an excuse for assaulting someone.
EDIT:
Which makes one wonder when the airline is going to sue the rent-a-cops for the reputational damage resulting from their criminal action ("we never told them to beat the guy up FFS").
Yes they could definitely spin it that way to deflect the blame... What a mess this thing is turning out to be for United Airlines.