It was broad daylight chaos in a quiet Los Angeles neighborhood when a 57-year-old man turned his front yard into a danger zone — firing a handgun into the sky and even taking aim at a police helicopter hovering overhead.
Newly released LAPD footage shows the jaw-dropping moment Anthony Whitsey pointed a gun at the chopper during a nearly four-hour standoff on November 20, after officers responded to a call for an assault with a deadly weapon.
According to police, once the helicopter was deployed, Whitsey escalated the situation dramatically — firing “approximately three to five” rounds from a 9mm handgun at the aircraft as it orbited above his home.
The video captures Whitsey ranting outside his house, gun in hand, unloading shots into the air in full view of police. Officers eventually returned fire, though Whitsey was not struck by bullets. Afterward, he dropped the gun on his front lawn and retreated back inside.
That’s when SWAT moved in — and when LAPD’s four-legged hero got his moment.
When Whitsey briefly stepped back onto his porch to confront officers, police released their K-9. The dog charged instantly, taking Whitsey down in seconds as officers rushed in.
The takedown was decisive. Whitsey suffered bites to his shoulders, arms, and legs, police said, finally bringing the volatile standoff to an end.
He was transported to a local hospital, treated for his injuries, and later booked for assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, according to LAPD.
No officers were injured, and the helicopter remained airborne throughout the attack.
It was broad daylight chaos in a quiet Los Angeles neighborhood when a 57-year-old man turned his front yard into a danger zone — firing a handgun into the sky and even taking aim at a police helicopter hovering overhead.
Newly released LAPD footage shows the jaw-dropping moment Anthony Whitsey pointed a gun at the chopper during a nearly four-hour standoff on
November 20, after officers responded to a call for an assault with a deadly weapon.
According to police, once the helicopter was deployed, Whitsey escalated the situation dramatically — firing “approximately three to five” rounds from a 9mm handgun at the aircraft as it orbited above his home.
The video captures Whitsey ranting outside his house, gun in hand, unloading shots into the air in full view of police. Officers eventually returned fire, though Whitsey was not struck by bullets. Afterward, he dropped the gun on his front lawn and retreated back inside.
That’s when SWAT moved in — and when LAPD’s four-legged hero got his moment.
When Whitsey briefly stepped back onto his porch to confront officers, police released their K-9. The dog charged instantly, taking Whitsey down in seconds as officers rushed in.
The takedown was decisive. Whitsey suffered bites to his shoulders, arms, and legs, police said, finally bringing the volatile standoff to an end.
He was transported to a local hospital, treated for his injuries, and later booked for assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, according to LAPD.
No officers were injured, and the helicopter remained airborne throughout the attack.
