United Pilot Faces Criminal Mischief Charge for Allegedly Attacking Parking Gate
Joe Cortez August 22, 2023
CBS News reports United Airlines pilot Kenneth Jones faces a count of criminal mischief in a Colorado court for his alleged solution: Taking an axe to a parking lot gate.
United Pilot to Police: “He Just Hit His Breaking Point”
The alleged incident happened on August 2, 2023. According to police reports and surveillance cameras, 63-year-old United employee was trying to leave an employee parking lot at Denver International Airport (DEN). That’s when he allegedly hit the gate 23 times with a full size axe, knocking it off of the base.
In the police report, Jones allegedly told Adams County deputy sheriffs that there were at least six people in line across the three gates. Jones claimed that the lines may have been long due to individuals parking there not having the correct permits. In order to speed things up, the pilot reportedly took the situation into his own hands.
Denver airport employees confronted the employee shortly after the alleged incident, engaging in a “physical struggle” over the situation. The police report notes that Jones told deputies: “He just hit his breaking point.”
A United spokesperson commented to CBS News that the pilot was “removed from the schedule and is on leave while United conducts an internal investigation.” If convicted, the pilot could face up to one year in prison and up to $1,000 in fines.
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Seems to me the problem is with United and the airport infrastructure, not the frustrated pilot. I've also "disabled" a parking lot gate when I couldn't get out from a hospital late at night. (No, I wasn't escaping from the mental ward, I was with my sick mother!) Continuing to make pilots the scapegoats and such incidents will continue to occur, possibly with more serious consequences than merely a broken parking lot gate.
I love this guy! The booth you see in this picture was obviously unmanned, and was there any way of contacting this corner-cutting company if the exit system didn't work? "Criminal mischief" is installing a parking system that is hard to use and provides no means of contact whena a problem occurs.
There have been a few occasions when I have wanted to do this myself.
For F sake. Why is the articla not about United holding people hostage because they have a crppy parking system? United has parking lot with no attendanbt and people are stuck inside. Should they call 911?
I am so sick of living in the USA where sht just doesn't work. DMV - all sck. Medical - insane. Internet service - high price, low speed. Police - great as first responders but stopped dealing with crime. Schools - Lucky my kids are in a great district but that is rare. Scams - why do we still have millions of people around the world caling us on our phone system to scam us? Korea solved this many yearsa go by requiring every phone number to be registered to a person or entitity. Airlines - that is why this site exists as mainly US airlines are just crp at best. And don't let me get started on Assisted Living / Nursing Homes in the USA....
The guy should be given a medal for resuing the other people stuck in the godforesaken parking lot.
I understand his frustration as I have been behind a gate that would not work. But, after seeing people burn down buildings and damaging property, out if frustration, I think the guy deserves a break.