Gunman Shot after Firing at Phoenix Police Helicopter Multiple Times

An armed man was shot Sunday after he was accused of opening fire on a Phoenix police helicopter, the second time a department aircraft has been shot at in the past week.

Officers responded around 2 a.m. to reports of gunshots in a neighborhood, KPHO‑TV reports. Units called for air support when they heard gunfire in the area.

As the police helicopter arrived overhead, a man reportedly fired a handgun at the aircraft, according to Sgt. Lorraine Fernandez. Police called for more officers, and the suspect was found in the backyard of a nearby apartment complex.

The man continued to shoot at the helicopter, and officers opened fire. He was taken to the hospital and remains in critical condition.

The helicopter wasn't struck by gunfire, but it was forced to make an emergency landing in a Walmart parking lot. No officers or civilians were injured.

This is the second time in a week that a Phoenix police helicopter has been fired at while airborne. Two brothers were arrested on March 16 after one of them allegedly shot at a helicopter.

Although incidents of aircraft being fired upon is rare, the gunfire presents not only a danger to the crews but also to people on the ground, aviation safety experts.

“Even if the bullet misses what they’re shooting at, it comes down somewhere, so there’s always that danger,” said Cary Grant, an assistant professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, told KPHO.