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.