Tue, Nov 06, 2012
?Sheriff's Office Aircraft Was Used To Disperse A Car Show Crowd
A lawsuit stemming from the use of an Oakland County, MI, sheriff's helicopter to disperse a crowd during a car show has become an issue in the local election for Sheriff. The challenger, Democrat Jane Bordueau, issued a series of news releases over the weekend publicizing the suit in her bid to unseat the incumbent Sheriff, Republican Michael Bouchard.
The suit claims that a pilot, acting under Bouchard's orders, flew below the FAA minimum altitude in order to scatter a crowd during the Woodward Dream Cruise car show on August 18th. The Bloomfield-Bloomfield Hills Patch online news site reports that the plaintiff, Terry McIninch, said his two children were injured by the debris kicked up by the aircraft's rotor wash. He also said the flying debris damaged his classic car and motor home.
The aircraft was dispatched after two large fights reportedly broke out after the car show ended, according to the newspaper the Oakland Press. Oakland County Undersheriff Mike McCabe said that the assertion that the helicopter flew as low as 50 feet over the crowd was "an out-and-out lie." He said the timing of the suit is "very suspect," but the plaintiff's attorney Michael Korman said there was noting political about the timing of the suit. He said the sheriff's office had plenty of time to make amends to his client, but had not done so. McCabe said Korman had often attacked the Sheriff's office, and had represented many medical marijuana clients in criminal cases.
The pilot has reportedly been grounded since the incident occurred. In a prepared statement, challenger Boudreau said that the responsibility should not rest solely with the aircrew. She said "their behavior/reaction was more endemic to a Sheriff's Office that is without leadership."
More News
Aero Linx: International Business Aviation Council Ltd IBAC promotes the growth of business aviation, benefiting all sectors of the industry and all regions of the world. As a non->[...]
"During the annual inspection of the B-24 “Diamond Lil” this off-season, we made the determination that 'Lil' needs some new feathers. Due to weathering, the cloth-cove>[...]
Also: Bushcat Woes, Hummingbird 300 SL 4-Seat Heli Kit, Carbon Cub UL The newest Junkers is a faithful recreation that mates a 7-cylinder Verner radial engine to the airframe offer>[...]
Also: Seaplane Pilots Association, Rotax 916’s First Year, Gene Conrad After a decade and a half of struggling with the FAA and other aero-politics, G100UL is in production a>[...]
Also: Martha King Scholarship, Montaer Grows, Textron Updates Pistons, FlySto The FAA is hiring thousands of air traffic controllers, but the window to apply will only be open for >[...]