SUSPECT ARRESTED IN COPTER DOWNING

A week ago Saturday one of the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department helicopters was shot down within just a couple of miles of my home during a pursuit.

Late last night, police arrested the prime suspect in the shooting and it turns out he was a marksman instructor in the U.S. Marine Corps and had been trained to take down a man at 700 yards; investigators have determined that the high-powered rifle that took down their copter was fired from 550 yards away.

Apparently, only two other police helicopters have ever been shot down within the United States — both in the Los Angeles area during gang activity in the 1980s.  The initial reports on this one sounded pretty scary when the local news began reporting that BCSD was under "enemy fire."  Nobody was killed in this crash and the pilot and crewmember were both awarded special medals by the city of Albuquerque (the pilot had flown helicopters with the National Guard for many years).  The Sherrif's Department has another, louder, helicopter but won't use it because of noise concerns.