Kenneth Henderson Jones, 63, was accused of criminal mischief after bludgeoned the parking arm 23 times with a long-handled axe at Denver international Airport, reported CBS News Colorado, who obtained the footage.
Shocking footage shows Jones walking toward the exit gate of an employee parking lot clutching the weapon on August 2 before savaging the barrier.
After successfully dismantling the parking arm, the footage then cuts to parking lot employee Rick Stephens bravely confronting and then attempting to disarm the troubled pilot.
Stephens, 65, was uninjured “during the confrontation” which also saw Jones lose control of the axe.
Jones then “ran across the street and behind a building and stayed in a field” before being apprehended by Denver police, a sheriff’s report said.
The report added that “Kenneth started by saying he just hit his breaking point”.
The pilot alleged that his reason for acting the way he did was to “get rid of issues for everyone waiting,” cops concluded.
A statement issued by United Airlines on Friday said Jones “was removed from the schedule and is on leave while United conducts an internal investigation.”
Jones was cited with a summons for criminal mischief and released at 3:05 p.m. that day, sheriff’s records revealed.
The value of the damaged parking lot arm was listed as $300.
Jones is scheduled to appear in Adams County Court on September 25.