Who's in charge, doors open?
Captain has accepted the a/c; station manager informs him that the company has ordered him off the a/c and to return to the crew room, no information known. What does the captain do; he wants to go home? Who's in charge?
Captain has accepted the a/c; station manager informs him that the company has ordered him, the station manager, to off-load 4 pax to allow DH crew. What does the captain do; he wants to go home? Who's in charge?
IMHO the captain can not be held responsible for the 'assault' on the pax because he had no knowledge of it nor could have been expected to anticipate it. I've only had one occasion to off-load a pax on arrival. They had refused CA orders during the flight. Station manger altered before arrival. He arrived with suitably imposing police officers and the pax was escorted off in civil manner, in full view of all the pax, to applause. The Station Manager was in charge of the whole affair and coordinated any prosecution on behalf of the company. I just wrote a report and disappeared PDQ to the hotel.
There is a thread on JB discussing 'volunteers.' I wonder what others might do if they were the victim: you are a legitimate pax with full fare ticket and seated. Some unknown bouncer type guys start ordering you around in a manner you consider unlawful. They are not police and you have committed no offence. They then start to 'attack and man-handle you in an unacceptable manner.' You strike out to defend yourself. What then? They flatten you into pulp and charge you with assault? That can't charge you with resisting arrest; that doesn't apply. So if you resist in such a way as needed to defend your person what could be the consequences? You are not a volunteer, but have been declared one. (read JB)