[Photo courtesy 8thandprez/Brooklynian.com]
So, what was an NYPD helicopter doing touching down in Prospect Park yesterday morning? The answer: unclear. But 8thandpress posts a dramatic shot on Brooklynian of the landing and writes the following:
I was in Prospect Park this morning at about 9:30 when a NYPD helicopter started circling. It flew around, lower and lower, before coming into the north end of the Long Meadow about 5 feet above the ground. It hovered there, kicking up a huge amount of dust and grass, for several minutes before taking off. Anyone else see this? Any idea why they would do this? There were kids, dogs, and people sitting on benches quite close.
Popular opinion says that it was part of a training exercise.
7 responses so far ↓
1 Gari N. Corp // Aug 5, 2008 at 10:41 am
Been a markedly higher police presence in the park since the pair of bodies. Very noticeable last weekend.
2 Red Hook // Aug 5, 2008 at 11:10 am
Apparently someone had a dog off leash during the wrong hour.
The park is really cracking down on this.
3 deborah matlack // Aug 5, 2008 at 11:29 am
Chopper operator probably was dazzled by circling over Coney Island, looking at women on the beaches, and became disoriented, ending up in Prospect Park.
4 Raanan Geberer // Aug 5, 2008 at 1:34 pm
I have another possible explanation. Tonight will be a National Night Out Against Crime celebration in Grand Army Plaza, and apparently some of the politicians and others are coming in by helicopter (I heard from police-linked sources). So this might be some sort of rehearsal exercise.
Raanan G
5 DW // Aug 5, 2008 at 8:17 pm
RG is probably correct.
A top city official in a chopper [either the mayor or police commissioner] touched down Tuesday evening around 7p on one of the ballfields at the Parade Grounds. Chopper was met by a small motorcade, and drove off in direction of Prospect Park.
6 Eric // Aug 6, 2008 at 10:52 am
Nice that politicians and police brass don’t mind spending our tax dollars on helicopter rides. Wouldn’t want them to have to ride the overcrowded subways like the rest of us.
And yes, I know Mayor Bloomberg commutes by subway.
7 simon // Aug 4, 2009 at 9:29 am
I rode my bike this morning 8/4/09, and saw a police helicopter on the ground, in the long meadow. There were also several police vehicles. Two days in a row??