[alex-]

This to me seems like the major point. If we imagine we own a restaurant and a customer refused to leave, forcing us to call the police. Then the police show up, over react and shoot the customer. Surely the law enforcers doing the shooting are the responsible/guilty party?

[r00fus]

Given your hypothetical restaurant scenario, what would ultimately happen (regardless of responsibility) is that your revenue would topple as guests flee the venue and avoid it like the plague in the future.

United is not a small concern, they have lawyers and PR folks that a small restaurant doesn't have access to.