A comedian and actor claimed he was 'tortured' and sexually assaulted by a California sheriff's department after getting into a spat with a United Airlines staff member at an airport. 

Ahmed Ahmed claimed he was swarmed by up to nine officers and physically and sexually abused for 21 hours, according to a lawsuit against the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office and others viewed by the Daily Mail.

The alleged assault took place after Ahmed was taken to Maguire Correctional Facility in Redwood City following a dispute with airline staff. The police said 'an internal review disputes his version of events.'

Ahmed got into an argument with an airline worker after his flight from Thailand to San Francisco International Airport on September 27, 2025 was heavily delayed, according to the lawsuit.

The late arrival into California caused many passengers including Ahmed to miss their connecting flights, per the filing.

Ahmed was given a hotel voucher for the Crowne Plaza Hotel but he and many other passengers were unable to lodge there, the complaint states.

He alleged he went back to the airport for help around 1am but passengers were told to use the United Application which was not working, he claimed in the lawsuit.

Passengers allegedly then had a heated exchange with the United employees, causing the staff member to call airport police who took Ahmed into custody for 'being disorderly', the complaint states.

It was there he alleged officers sexually abused him 'by touching him and trying to pull down his pants while laughing and high-fiving each other,' the lawsuit claimed. 

'You cannot pull my pants down, you cannot rape me,' he recalled telling officers, the complaint said.

They then shackled him to a chair in tight restraints which made it hard for him to breathe and put a 'bag over his head,' before leaving the room 'cackling,' he alleged in the filing. 

He claimed they denied him 'water, counsel, the ability to use the bathroom, and any ability to communicate with anyone on the outside, including legal representation,' the complaint said. 

He begged to call his lawyer or his mother, but the comedian said he was 'ignored.' Hours later, he tried to use his status as a comedian to help escape, by telling them to 'look him up,' the complaint said. 

He was then released and taken to a holding cell for 15 hours, he alleged. 

While in custody, he also claimed in the lawsuit to have suffered a 'head injury, a traumatic brain injury, and a broken rib, wrist, and elbow, and PTSD' from several officers allegedly physically and sexually attacking him. 

'Mr. Ahmed was then terrorized, and he genuinely believed that he was going to be killed,' the complaint read. 

Ahmed, who is Egyptian American, claimed he was illegally held for 21 hours before he was released without any charges being made against him. 

His discharge paperwork claimed he was 'intoxicated,' the complaint said. 

He sought medical treatment in Los Angeles, where he discovered he had a broken rib, wrist, and elbow, and suffered strains to the neck and head, according to the lawsuit.

Ahmed's attorney, Nick Rowley, told the Daily Mail: 'There is no place in America for law enforcement putting a bag over a person’s head, tying them to a chair, and beating them. 

'What happened was despicably wrong and we look forward to exposing the bad actors and gang-like behavior by the law enforcement officers who jumped, beat, and tortured Ahmed.' 

Ahmed also accused then-Sheriff Christina Corpus of not controlling her officers.  

Corpus was removed as sheriff in October 2025 by the County Board of Supervisors due to an unrelated misconduct report stating she used nepotism and had conflicting relationships. 

The comedian is asking for a jury trial and for an unspecified amount in damages to be determined in court. 

'I have spent my life trying to bring people together through laughter, but what those officers did broke something in me. I was scared for my life. They tortured, humiliated, beat and injured me,' Ahmed said in a statement. 

'The trauma has scarred me physically, emotionally, psychologically, and spiritually. 

'I did not do anything wrong. I will not walk away from what happened to me without doing everything I can to hold the officers and department accountable. By doing so, I hope to make sure this does not happen to anyone else.' 

His lawyer, Haytham Faraj, said in a statement: 'Ahmed was racially stereotyped, discriminated against, brutalized, terrorized, and dehumanized because deputies saw an Arab Muslim man who was less deserving of dignity, humanity, and constitutional protection.' 

The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office told the Daily Mail: 'The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office is aware of the complaint and takes allegations of this magnitude extremely seriously.

'The Sheriff's Office will not litigate the facts through the media. The Sheriff's Office looks forward to responding through the appropriate legal process.' 

The law enforcement agency also told the Daily Mail that it had 'no involvement in the arrest of Mr. Ahmed, who was booked into our correctional facility by an outside agency for public intoxication.' 

It also said an internal review of evidence 'disputes Mr. Ahmed's version of events.' 

Ahmed is suing the County of San Mateo, the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, and Corpus.  

The Daily Mail has reached out to the county and Corpus for comment.