A Southwest Airlines pilot, David Allsop, was taken off a plane by police just before takeoff after security officers suspected he had been drinking.

The 52-year-old pilot was arrested in January at Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport in Georgia while preparing to fly Flight 3772 to Chicago. Passengers were already seated when police entered the cockpit and escorted him away.

Police bodycam footage showed officers stopping Allsop on the jet bridge, where they noticed a strong smell of alcohol. He first claimed it came from a nicotine pouch but later admitted he had three bottles of beer with his co-pilot about 10 hours earlier.

Officers conducted field sobriety tests on him at the airport. He failed two out of three and refused to take a blood alcohol test. He was then handcuffed, removed from the airport, and booked on DUI charges.

Southwest Airlines confirmed that Allsop has been dismissed, saying passenger safety is their highest priority. The Federal Aviation Administration also revoked his pilot’s license, and he may still face federal prosecution.

Allsop had been with Southwest for almost 20 years and previously served in the U.S. Air Force’s 50th Airlift Squadron. He has not made any public statement since the incident.