San Diego Police Helicopter FlIR Video-Suicide

Caution:  This video does show a subject shoot himself as captured through the helicopter's FLIR heat sensing camera.  It should not be watched by young audiences.  I don't include this video for it's shock effect.  I include it because it has some valuable points regarding police helicopters and their value to officers on the ground and the general public.

For the record, and in defense of the SDPD Air Unit, this video was never officially released to the public.  It goes without saying that a copy somehow made it's way to the internet, kind of hard to put this cat back in the bag.

We so often see these type of videos but seldom any analysis to go along with them.  It is my understanding that this was a carjacking suspect, so I can only imagine that the shotgun was used in the carjacking.

The San Diego Police Aviation Unit "ABLE" is our sister agency/unit so to speak.  It goes without saying that our beats and jurisdiction borders each other around the county.  We each assist the other when the need arises. 

The primary voice on this video is that of one of San Diego PD's senior pilots, on this night however he is obviously sitting in the TFO (tactical flight officer) seat.  This particular pilot is quickly becoming a nationally recognized expert on FLIR operations, so there was probably no better person to be on the FLIR on this night.  The second voice on the video is most likely the pilot.  The system is set up to not only record the radio traffic between the helicopter and the ground units, but to record the police helicopter's intercom which the pilot and TFO use to communicate.

While the TFO has his eyes glued on the FLIR screen, the pilot can often be a second valuable source of information by viewing the scene below both on night vision goggles, and with the naked eye.  This is an example of excellent team work in the cockpit between the pilot and TFO.  The pilot is able to double check the map and confiirm which street they are on, and he is able to provide a clothing description of the suspect, (probably thanks to the night sun). 

Would the officer have gone over the fence after the suspect had the TFO not issued his urgent warning?  I don't know but I can tell you than many suspects who commit suicide in a situation like this have no qualms taking a police officer with them.  I think the value of the police helicopter and it's crew proved itself on this night.