The dark past of a man who was killed after being sucked into a jet engine at a major American airport has been revealed.
Michael Mott, 41, died on Friday evening after scaling the perimeter fence at Denver International Airport and walking out in front of a Frontier Airlines passenger jet as it was preparing to take off.
The collision led to a fire breaking out after Motts was “partially consumed” by one of the aircraft's engines - forcing the 224 passengers to be evacuated from the plane on emergency slides.
It is believed the fatal incident was a suicide, with the cause of death determined to be multiple blunt and sharp force injuries, the city and county of Denver's chief medical examiner Sterling McLaren said.
But now it has emerged that prior to his death, Mott was a career criminal with more than 20 arrests in Colorado since 2002, the New York Post revealed.
The 41-year-old had previously been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, with his most recent run in with the law coming just one month before his death.
On April 10, he was taken in to custody for first-degree trespassing and damaging property at an address in Colorado Springs, resisted arrest as officers tried to apprehend him.
He was subsequently booked into El Paso County Jail, the Colorado Springs Police Department confirmed.
Mott was a career criminal with more than 20 arrests in Colorado since 2002
|MONTEZUMA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE
His two-decade long crime spree began when Motts was just 17 years old, which saw him arrested on multiple occasions for shoplifting and underage drinking.
However, just a few years later, the seriousness of his offences began to ramp up.
In February 2005, he was arrested by Cortez Police Department for attempted murder using a firearm.
He later pleaded down the charge to second-degree assault causing serious bodily injury with a deadly weapon, and was sentenced to six years in prison.
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He died after walking out in front of a Frontier Airlines passenger jet on Friday evening
|CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION
He later picked up another felony assault using a weapon charge while behind bars.
After being released, he found himself in trouble with the authorities once again, and was arrested in April 2010 for felony domestic violence, menacing and assault.
The 41-year-old's other arrests came in 2016 for second-degree burglary and in 2020 for felony assault on a peace officer.
Minor offences on his rap sheet include driving under the influence, missing court appearances and fighting in public.
Mott was arrested in April 2010 for felony domestic violence, menacing and assault
|COLORADO SPRINGS POLICE DEPARTMENT
Since his death on Friday, officers have attempted to recover a suicide note linked to the 41-year-old, but the search has been unsuccessful so far.
Denver Police Department Chief Ron Thomas said in a press conference on Tuesday: “We currently are looking for any notes, computers, anything like that, trying to identify places where he most recently was."
Shocking audio from air traffic control revealed the moment airport staff realised Mott had been struck by the aircraft.
“Tower, Frontier 4345, we’re stopping on the runway. Uh, we just hit somebody... we have an engine fire," the pilot could be heard saying.
Airport staff later replied: “I do have limbs on the runway. I believe the aircraft struck an individual... There appear to be human remains on the runway."
Anyone who is in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide can call the Samaritans anonymously for free from a UK phone on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org.
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