The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating a Pennsylvania state police helicopter that buzzed a tailgate ahead of last Saturday’s Penn State-Ohio State game, according to WGAL-TV in Pennsylvania.
State police say they attempted to use ground patrol to bust up an unruly tailgate in which at least one partygoer was arrested. But when the ground forces could not tame the masses -- one state trooper reportedly suffered a broken wrist, and two police horses were “assaulted” -- state police called in the air force.
Cell phone video taken on the scene shows the chopper hovered low enough to jostle items on the ground. The video looks like an imitation version of how Michael Bay might film an alien invasion.
When WGAL asked the Pennsylvania state police if there were any regulations governing how low a police helicopter could fly, the response wasn’t exactly encouraging: “The helicopter can fly at whatever altitude will best accomplish the mission at hand while keeping safety in mind.”
Ohio State went on to win the game, 27-26.