Ask any veteran patrol officer for a few stories from the streets and the average person would be amazed. You're kidding, right? No way! You have to be making this up! Are just a few of the many reactions to many of these stories evoke. Aviation Officers certainly have stories that can rival the best tale from the street. Throw in a little aviation and the stories really can seem unbelievable.
Lions, tigers and snakes?
A few years back, a Virginia resident was in the business of keeping and raising snakes. Among the many snakes he owned, were several highly poisonous and very deadly varieties. You guessed it, one day he was bitten by one of his "pets" and the race against time began. Rushed to the local emergency room, the attending doctors knew immediately that the only possible chance for survival was the rapid intervention of anti-venom. The only problem? Where would they find it and how could they get this needed medication quickly. Enter Jacobi Hospital in the Bronx. Jacobi Hospital certainly sees its share of violence.
Located in the middle of a tough urban area of New York City, shootings, stabbings and assaults are an all too common and all too familiar for the Jacobi Emergency Room. How exactly does an urban hospital play into a snake bite scenario? Well, Jacobi Hospital also happens to be located right near the New York Wildlife Conservations Society's world renowned Bronx Zoo. As part of their numerous and spectacular exhibits, the Bronx Zoo has quite a large and diverse collection of many snakes, including many that could provide the necessary anti-venom for a seriously injured patient. The anti-venom was located but now it had to be rapidly transported to Virginia from New York at 8:00 PM at night! Enter the New York City Police Department Aviation Unit. After a few phone calls, the NYPD Aviation was requested to transport this anti-venom. After gaining the necessary approvals, two pilots were dispatched in a Bell 206L4 LongRanger to fly to Jacobi Hospital, pick up the anti-venom and fly it to the local Virginia Hospital.
Decades before September 11, 2001
On February 17, 1974, Robert Preston, a private in the Army, stole an Army helicopter from Fort Meade, Maryland, and flew it to the White House Complex. He passed over the Executive Mansion and then returned to the south grounds, where he hovered for about 6 minutes and touched down briefly approximately 150 feet from the West Wing. Members of the Executive Protection Service (EPS) did not know who was piloting the aircraft and were not aware that it had been stolen from Fort Meade. They made no attempt to shoot down the helicopter. Preston left the area of the White House and flew the helicopter back toward Fort Meade. He was chased by two Maryland State Police helicopters. Preston then returned to the White House Complex. As he lowered himself to about 30 feet above the south grounds, EPS officers barraged the helicopter with shotgun and submachine gunfire. Preston immediately set the riddled aircraft down. He was injured slightly.
The following first-person account of the Preston incident was provided by Maryland State Police First Sergeant (ret.) Louis W. Saffran as reported in the White House Security Review Public Report; "The Maryland State Police Helicopter was not with the Stolen Helicopter when it first flew over the White House. The State Police Helicopter responded after being notified by Andrews AFB Tower that there was a problem with a rogue Helicopter in the area of BWI Airport. The Crew of the State Police Helicopter responded to BWI Airport and chased the rogue Helicopter down the Baltimore/Washington Parkway (I-295) into the restricted area of D.C. After a brief dog fight around the Washington Monument, the rogue Helicopter flew toward the White House, over the fence and on to the White House lawn. It was at this time that the Maryland State Police Helicopter took a position between the rogue Helicopter and the White House in an attempt to keep the Rogue Helicopter from harming the White House.
It was at this time that the Secret Service fired on the Rogue Helicopter, forcing it to the ground. Robert Preston, pilot of the rogue Helicopter, exited the aircraft and ran toward the White House. I exited the State Police Helicopter, and along with the Secret Service Officers, subdued Preston after a short foot chase. This escapade was documented in the Congressional Record, Per Senator Goodloe Byron, and in many newspaper articles throughout the United States. The facts of this incident were provided to then-President Richard Nixon who called Trooper Donald Sewell and me to the Oval Office later that week for a Presidential Commendation. At no time was a Maryland State Police Helicopter forced down by the rogue Helicopter. The State Police were instrumental in the downing and capture of the rogue aircraft and it’s Pilot on the White House Lawn." The truth is certainly stranger than fiction.
The Very Unusual
Every police aviator can recall at least one strange request or bizarre inquiry. Can you guys shoot down an airliner? Can we use your x-ray vision camera? Can you lift disabled cars off the highway to ease congestion? These are just a few examples of the many unusual things police aviators have heard, if a movie comes out that features a police aviation scene, every administrator is asking, "Can our guys do that?"
The Truth IS Stranger than Fiction
Every police officer has their "story". The one that defies common sense, belief and understanding. The police aviator is no different. Next time you see one of the guys from your aviation unit, just ask them about any strange but true stories. Hopefully, you will just react as we do to so many things we see. Wow!
