The Los Angeles Times
LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Several people were detained this morning in Carson in connection with shots fired at a Los Angeles County sheriff’s helicopter Wednesday night.
Two bullets struck the helicopter but caused no injuries, authorities said.
Shortly after 4:30 this morning, SWAT teams with the Sheriff’s Department started serving warrants on people in the area where the incident occurred, said Deputy Oscar Butao of the sheriff’s headquarters bureau.
“They are searching the area, basically just asking people, ‘Hey, what happened?’ Butao said. “There’s no standoff though, and people are just being detained, not arrested.”
About 11 p.m. Wednesday, two bullets struck the helicopter, which was responding to a robbery call. The pilot was forced to make an unscheduled landing at the Carson station, said Sgt. Carol Rogers, a sheriff’s spokeswoman.
Rogers said one bullet struck the belly of the helicopter and the other hit the tail.
After an inspection, the helicopter was found to be safe to fly, Rogers said.
Sheriff’s deputies and a SWAT team were dispatched to a residence this morning in what investigators described as “an ongoing tactical operation.”
Neighbors told KTLA that helmeted SWAT deputies carried out raids near Carson and evacuated people in nearby homes. Butao said more details on the incident would be released this morning.
Copyright 2008 The Los Angeles Times