A JetBlue pilot who was arrested on his own plane and then freed on bail last month over a child sex charge killed himself Friday as police closed in for a second arrest.
Jeremy Gudorf, 33, shot himself inside his car at a train station in Revere as troopers with Massachusetts State Police approached him Friday morning, according to NBC10 Boston.
He was pronounced dead at a local hospital.
The encounter took place at the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority’s Wonderland station after the state police’s Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, Revere police and US Marshals had been searching for the commercial pilot from Xenia, Ohio.
As authorities closed in, Gudorf “revealed a firearm and abruptly shot himself,” MSP spokesperson Tim McGuirk said, according to WCVB.
Gudorf was initially cuffed at Boston’s Logan International Airport on Feb. 20 after US Customs and Border Protection discovered a warrant for his arrest out of North Carolina on a child sex charge.
The pilot had been moments away from taking off for Paris when he was hauled off the aircraft.
He is charged in Huntersville, North Carolina, on second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor. He also had a charge in the Bay State as a fugitive of justice.
A federal judge in Boston set his bail at $10,000 on the condition he turn himself over to law enforcement in the Tar Heel State. It was unclear if he ever did so.
JetBlue said last month that when it learned of Gudorf’s arrest, they placed him on indefinite leave.
“We are aware of and closely reviewing the arrest of one of our pilots upon reporting for work … Thursday evening due to an outstanding warrant,” the airline added.
If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts or are experiencing a mental health crisis and live in New York City, you can call 1-888-NYC-WELL for free and confidential crisis counseling. If you live outside the five boroughs, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.