Not the first time an inebriate has been accused of shooting at a rescue aircraft.
Man Accused of Shooting at Rescue Helicopter During Katrina Goes on Trial
June 22, 2006 at 12:15 PM CDT - Updated July 2 at 2:05 AM (WWL-TV) -- A man on trial for allegedly shooting at a rescue helicopter during Hurricane Katrina was found guilty of possessing a firearm Wednesday, but a jury will further debate whether he fired at the helicopter.
During the storm it became a huge concern as reports circulated that snipers were scaring off rescuers.
"Once they started shooting at us, they shut down the operation," said one hospital worker.
Bailey faces federal charges for trying to shoot down an aircraft.
Agents said they caught him in the act, and that he claimed to have told officers at the time that the choppers "won't be back now.
The jury has been handed the case at federal court.
Investigators said that just because Bailey was the only person charged does not mean more people didn't shoot at the helicopters. Police said they simply may not have been able to find them in the chaos.
It appears that the evacuated pax were probably put on a 777 with a stopover in Bangui on the way back to Paris.
