Indecent exposure wrongful arrest nets United pilot USD300,000
The city of Denver must pay a United Airlines pilot $300,000 for wrongful arrest over an indecent exposure incident.
Police with firearms drawn stormed the hotel room of Andrew Collins of Leesburg, Virginia last year during a stopover.
He was arrested after airport workers saw him at a 10th-floor window at the Westin at Denver International Airport which overlooks the terminal.
Airport employees alerted police after he was seen ‘fondling himself’ while speaking on the phone.
Collins said he could not see out of the tinted windows but was unaware passers-by could in fact see inside from the main concourse.
Collins’ attorney argued that being naked inside a hotel room is not an offense. The charges were later dropped by a judge.
United Airlines suspended Collins for six months and has since resumed working as a pilot.
However he says he is continually harassed.
"I have been tagged by Homeland Security. Anytime I get back into the country, I am pulled aside and asked if I have been in trouble with the law," the pilot said.
Collins’s attorney also laid some of the blame at the Marriott-run hotel for allowing armed officers into the hotel room without a warrant.
"The DIA Westin performed poorly. We’d like them to step up and acknowledge responsibility."
Collins had originally sought damages of $1 million, and has not ruled out filing a lawsuit in the future.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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