State Police Reviewing Use of Helicopter Over Penn State Tailgate

Pennsylvania State Police said on Thursday they are cooperating with a Federal Aviation Administration Investigation and conducting their own internal review of the use of a low-flying helicopter over a Penn State tailgate lot on Saturday,causing tents and other debris to go airborne.

Police said the helicopter was used as a last resort to order ‘a large, unruly crowd’ to disperse via loudspeaker after commands from state troopers on foot and horseback were ignored.

‘There was no intent by the pilot or supervisors on the ground to disturb property, and the department regrets any damage caused as a result,’ the statement said. ‘Safety is the top priority of the Pennsylvania State Police Aviation Unit, which flew 1,841 missions in service to the commonwealth in 2017.’

Penn State Police and Public Safety issued a statement on Wednesday saying that, for now, it would ‘discontinue use of a helicopter to make crowd announcements at football games pending an assessment.’

‘We will continue to confer with state police, and evaluate steps taken, which is our normal practice,” the university police statement added.

Police said previously that a few hundred people were gathered at the tailgate, where alcohol allegedly was being sold without a license including to minors. A tactical mounted unit was deployed to move tailgaters out of the area and police said two horses were assaulted and a trooper was injured. 

Penn State police said the use of a helicopter for crowd dispersal at football tailgates is rare but that it was deployed ‘when all other warnings from the mounted police unit and officers on the ground were ignored,’ and because of ‘numerous law violations, including serious threats to officer safety within a disorderly crowd.’

State police previously said that the helicopter pulled up when ‘personnel on scene noticed the helicopter was low enough to disturb items on the ground.’

Numerous videos showed the helicopter fly low to the ground and send debris flying. It drew criticism from those who said it damaged property and could have posed a greater danger.

“Can you imagine if a helicopter sent debris that hit a horse and it got spooked and started trampling the kids? This could’ve been a tragedy,’ said Scott Olson, who was tailgating next to the larger group of students . ‘If that helicopter had any type of accident, you would’ve had people shredded everywhere and cars on fire. It’s so fortunate that there wasn’t a major tragedy [Saturday].’

State police said on Saturday that before the party was broken up, undercover liquor enforcement officers made a purchase to obtain alcohol at the student tailgate. Criminal charges for selling alcohol without a license and furnishing alcohol to a minor are pending. Police seized $200, four 30-packs of beer and eight handles of alcohol, according to a release.

On Tuesday, a man was charged with striking a police horse and resisting arrest in connection with the incident.