Texas Officers Fired From Helicopters 5 Times
Officers with the Texas Department of Public Safety have fired from helicopters five times in the past two years, disabling one vehicle.
The Austin American-Statesman reported its findings Saturday. The newspaper says the information came from records obtained through a public information request.
The information request was made after an October incident in which a trooper in South Texas fired from a helicopter, killing two Guatemalan men who had been hiding under a blanket in the bed of a pickup truck. A third man was injured.
Other border states have said they do not allow officers to fire from helicopter.
The Texas department has said its officers are allowed to fire from a helicopter if they believe it could put an end to a high-speed chase that threatens bystanders.
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