According to a programs about police helicopters on Discovery Wings. San
Bernadino County CA Sheriff has a policy of allowing their officers in
county helicopters to fire back. The policy was set after a bank robbery
suspect wounded a pilot causing the observer to land the copter. The
program stated that they were the only non-military agency to have such
a policy. They have to qualify (I forget the time period) with both
hadguns and small machine guns of a uzi type.


robert arndt wrote:

"Don Harstad" wrote in message ...
"Mutts" wrote in message
...

Wouldnt a cannon on a police helicopter solve a lot of
problems for law enforcement?

Is it possible to put a round right through the engine block
of a suspect fleeing and stop them from killing innocents?
Seems like that kind of accuracy is possible now isnt it?

When those guys were robbing the bank in LA, seems like
it would have been an easy shot to make from a helicopter
even without a cannon.

Whats up? public outcry or something?

What's up? Common sense. You can't have a helo gunship blasting the
Interstate or side streets, downtown, etc... with innocent people
standing around or driving. Even the smallest fragments from cannon
fire could kill somebody nearby in a car, sidewalk, looking out a
store window, etc...
Seems like you've been watching "Blue Thunder" too much!

Rob

p.s. However, hypothetically, it WOULD be interesting to see a Police
version of an AC-130 tackle a Los Angeles riot!