VIDEO: San Bernardino County Sheriff chopper's close call with ATV riders
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. - Dramatic video shows a county sheriff’s helicopter getting uncomfortably close to ATV riders in San Bernardino.
The incident in question took place Sunday at the Muscoy Wash in San Bernardino.
"We heard all the commotion outside," said Fernando Martinez Moreno. "So we ran outside and that’s when we saw the chopper just drop dangerously low almost hitting the riders."
Martinez-Moreno is among questioning why the law enforcement helicopter got so close to the riders.
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department says their chopper got this close to ATV riders because they were cutting them off from escaping over the wash after one of them assaulted an officer @FOXLA pic.twitter.com/KFR7HEIygt
— Travis Rice (@traviscrice) July 26, 2022
(FOX 11)
"I was like, ‘Damn. The riders are going to get hit,’" Martinez-Moreno, "They should go after the people that are really causing damage to the city – the riders are just riding."
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Office released a statement on the matter:
Our Aviation Unit was requested to assist the San Bernardino Police Department (SBPD.) with a call for 30-50 off-road vehicles driving reckless on city streets, blocking traffic, and attempting a street take-over. SBPD officers were assaulted by one of the subjects, who used the off-road vehicle as a weapon (a felony). As the suspects fled from officers into a nearby wash, our helicopter crew assisted by keeping the suspects confined in the Muscoy wash area preventing them from again accessing city streets and putting the public in danger. The air crew maneuvered the helicopter to a lower altitude in an effort to prevent the felony suspect’s escape and aid ground units in their apprehension. In some environments lowering altitude in a helicopter may cause dirt and dust to blow around as occurred in this case. No injuries to the subjects resulted and the suspect that assaulted the SBPD officer was taken into custody.