Back in 2018, a United Airlines pilot was arrested on suspicion of indecent exposure after he was seen walking around naked in a Westin Hotel window. Now, one year later, the city of Denver has agreed to pay $300,000 to the airline pilot after the charges were dropped.
“A respected family man and outstanding veteran aviator, Capt. Collins was the victim of an unjustified warrantless entry into his hotel room followed by an arrest and days of miserable incarceration,” Andrew Collins’ lawyer said in a statement on Monday.
In the incident, which occurred on September 20, 2018, the naked pilot was seen talking on the phone in front of a window, as travelers in the airport lobby looked on. He was also accused of lewd acts, but those charges were dropped due to lack of evidence.
According to the Denver Post, Collins pleaded not guilty, as his lawyer argued that being naked in your own hotel room is not a crime and that his client wasn’t even aware that anyone could see him. Never the less, Collins was suspended from his job, with pay, for six months until the case was dismissed in March. He was also reportedly running to serve as the president of the pilots’ union, but withdrew from the race after the arrest.
Although he has since resumed his role with United Airlines, he says he’s reminded of the incident daily. “That’s how we protect our rights – by holding people accountable,” Collins said of the incident, after which he filed a $1 million wrongful arrest suit. “I have to explain this situation every day without fail. 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.”
In the wake of the incident and Collins’ suit, the city of Denver has agreed to settle for $300,000.
