Copter landing surprises neighborhood (Resident opens fire on chopper)

(Hampton Roads, VA) Daily Press ^ | 7.19.02 | Brian Whitson and Patti Rosenberg

[mhking]

Copter landing surprises neighborhood
Police are investigating incident

By Brian Whitson and Patti Rosenberg
Daily Press

July 18, 2002, 3:02 PM EDT

JAMES CITY -- When John Chwaszczewski bought his house two years ago on Magruder Lane, he wanted a quiet place to relax and vacation during the summer months.

For the most part, that had been the case -- until Saturday morning when the neighborhood quickly became less of the vacation spot and more like something out of "Men In Black."

It was about 8 a.m. when Chwaszczewski, who was doing a little painting in his detached garage, heard a thunderous sound that sounded like it was right on top of him. He looked outside and saw a white helicopter hovering just 20 feet above the garage.

"I didn't know what was going on," said Chwaszczewski, who is a semi-retired construction worker who lives most of the year in Port Monmouth, N.J.

The helicopter then swooped down, just missing the top of his house and car, and landed in a vacant lot across the street, he said.

"It damned near took off the roof of my garage," Chwaszczewski said. "I ran across the street and the first thing I did was get the number of the helicopter."

The second thing Chwaszczewski did was run back inside to get his gun. When he looked out of his house, he saw a man hidden behind a tree, Chwaszczewski said. The man wore a business suit and ran over to the helicopter carrying a large black box, he said.

"My initial reaction was, this had got to be terrorists," he said. "I fired two shots. I tried to knock the windshield out of it. I don't know if I hit anything."

Chwaszczewski would not say what kind of gun he fired. He said the helicopter took off and he thought about firing more rounds but didn't for fear of making it crash in the neighborhood.

"It just happened so quick," he said.

The pilot of the helicopter insists a panel light came on and he landed as a precaution.

Police are investigating the incident to determine whether the helicopter malfunctioned or whether the pilot had planned the landing all along.

The passenger who was picked up lives across the street from where the helicopter landed.

Police say the man may not have been hiding behind the tree, but he may have been waiting for the helicopter.

The pilot said he wasn't aware shots were being fired when he landed.

Brian Whitson can be reached at 221-7220 or by e-mail at bwhitson@dailypress.com

[umgud]

I'm far better with a handgun than I am with a long gun, but a pistol shot freehand by an excited person is always a stretch. If this guy had a rifle, and assuming no buck fever, he shouldn't have had any problem taking a windshield at reasonable distance. The fact that he even shot under these circumstances demonstrates he's already lacking something upstairs.

[Shooter 2.5]

Of course. I'm just trying to explain the mechanics. The original poster tried to blame a miss on a short barreled pistol in a small caliber. The point I tried to make is that only sight radius is the excuse.
Take a pistol and rifle in the same caliber, same scope and there isn't a large difference.
A couple of years ago, there was a guy who wrote a letter to the NRA and explained what he was doing. He was taking a Thompson Contender and a ten power scope and he was getting unbelievable groups out to hundreds of yards.
Ironically, the article now claims he used a rifle. At a helicopter that was so close it threatened his house.

[DoughtyOne]

I don't disagree with you about there being idiots out there. Unfortunately you have to play to idiots as well as lucid people.

[harpo11]

Well stated!

[Tennessee_Bob]

Wait till PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Aircraft) hears about this one.

[Howie]

[Dinsdale]

He was taking a Thompson Contender and a ten power scope and he was getting unbelievable groups out to hundreds of yards.

A Thompson Contender is not a normal pistol. Single shot, long barrel, usually chambered for a rifle round. They are closer to rifles then to a .25 auto. Of course you implied that by stating same caliber but some freepers might not know what a Contender is.

Of course if it was an AR-15 the shooter should be ashamed.

[habaes corpussel]

"My initial reaction was, this had got to be terrorists," he said. "I fired two shots."

Well I know of at least one guy I do not want to live next too. What's next? Well officer I thought that car hiding along side the road with a funny looking thing on the dash was a terrorist. I swear I didn't see the State Police markings.

[yoe]

"Police are investigating the incident to determine whether the helicopter malfunctioned or whether the pilot had planned the landing all along.

The passenger who was picked up lives across the street from where the helicopter landed.

They know who the pilot and passenger are, now what was in the big black box?

[Teacher317]

He cut up the gun because he missed. What would he have done with the bodies if he had hit?

[pgkdan]

"I didn't know what was going on," said Chwaszczewski, who is a semi-retired construction worker who lives most of the year in Port Monmouth, N.J.

I saw this nit-wit on the local news yesterday. My guess is he was drunk then, probably drunk now...and usually drunk. He's standing outside, no shirt with his his huge gut filling the screen, talking about how he just knew this was a terrorist attack...and "how am I supposed to know they're not terrorists". Are we to assume that all strangers are terrorists now and just start shooting at them?

This idiot needs to go back to NJ and start firing his rifle in their residential neighborhoods.

[TADSLOS]

They know who the pilot and passenger are, now what was in the big black box?

Based on the shooter's tendency to rush to conclusions, I'd say that it was probably lunch.

[BlessingInDisguise]

"Unfortunately you have to play to idiots as well as lucid people."

No you don't.

[flamefront]

'Terrorist' chopper draws gunfire
Associated Press


WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - A man armed with an assault-style rifle opened fire on a helicopter landing in a residential neighborhood, thinking the chopper was carrying terrorists, police said.

Helicopter pilot John S. Sutton landed his helicopter July 13 at the home of businessman John Peters to pick him up, police said.

John Chwaszczewski, a semiretired construction worker, became alarmed when he saw the chopper swoop down over his garage, about a block from Peters' home.

"Maybe I overreacted, but I did feel this was terrorism at its utmost," Chwaszczewski said.

Chwaszczewski told police the shooting was "a natural reaction," after having watched the events of Sept. 11.

A woman who identified herself as Sutton's wife said he would have no comment.

Sutton was charged with recklessly operating an aircraft, a misdemeanor, Deputy Police Chief Ken Middlebrook said Friday. If convicted, he could face a month in jail.

Chwaszczewski was charged with interfering with an aircraft, discharging a firearm, an AR-15 rifle, in a public place, reckless handling of a firearm and assaulting Sutton. He faces up to eight years in prison and $10,000 in fines if convicted.

[DoughtyOne]

True. You don't. How do you like the results when you don't?

[Jhoffa_]

Chwaszczewski would not say what kind of gun he fired.

It was an AR15. I also saw a report that he cut it up after the incident. (Mental note: someone should take his power tools away also before he hurts himself)

"It just happened so quick," he said.

Yes, it did.. It only took you a couple of seconds to make all gun owners look like total fools.

Congratulations, you are a very efficient nutcase..

[Jhoffa_]

My only question is ? who is in more trouble, legally ? the idiot pilot or the idiot shooter?

The idiot shooter..

Pilot could be facing a misdemeanor.

(Personally, I think maybe neither of them need to be playing with grownup toys like guns and helecopters.)

[TLBSHOW]

Bottom line is, if it smells and looks like a terrorist, shoot it!

Are we sure this is not an onion story. LOL

[Jhoffa_]

Are we sure this is not an onion story. LOL

It certainly could be..

SNL could have a field day with something like this also.

"Get mah gun martha! It's them airabs and they'ze goin after the thompsons garage!"

[Jonah Hex]

I wish it was an Onion story. (This story is local for me.) The local liberal rag has grabbed this story by the throat and is using it to paint gun-owners as a brick short of a full load and only one step away from shooting down airliners with a 10-22.

Thank you, Mr. John "Oh what a great idiot I am" Chwaszczewski. The twit....