Man Guilty of Shooting at Police Copter

A Pennsylvanian man was found guilty of shooting at a Philadelphia Police helicopter a few years back.

A federal jury convicted Jonathan Butler of Harrisburg, Pa. Friday of interference with, and attempted interference with, a person operating an aircraft and use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence that stemmed from a July 25, 2008 shooting in North Philadelphia, the U.S. Attorney said

A Police Lieutenant and officer were pursuing several people believed to operating illegal ATVs on North Philly Streets.

The ATV drivers rode into a large gathering of people at the Norman Blumberg Apartments on the 2300 block of W Jefferson Street. Suddenly someone shot up into the air at the police helicopter, attorneys said.

The government claimed that Butler, 28, fired his Glock .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol at the copter. Later a gun was recovered inside Butler’s nearby apartment with 13 live rounds of ammunition.

Sentencing was scheduled for November. Butler faces up to 20 years in prison and could face fines up to $1 million.


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