Locally Grown Northfield

The people, issues, and events of Northfield, MN

It was the State Patrol’s FLIR helicopter you heard last night

By Griff Wigley, on June 2, 2010, 9:36 am

We got a few emails asking us if we knew why a helicopter was circling over Northfield for quite a while at 1 am this morning.

I spoke with Northfield Deputy Police Chief Chuck Walerius this morning. He said it was a helicopter equipped with a FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared) unit from the Minnesota State Patrol Flight Section. They had requested it to help look for a suicidal individual. The individual was eventually found using cell phone triangulation at around 4:30 am. and was rushed to Northfield Hospital in time.

See the March Strib story titled Thermal imaging: An eye in Minnesota’s sky.

6 comments to It was the State Patrol’s FLIR helicopter you heard last night

1

Jessica Paxton says:

June 2, 2010 at 12:19 pm

Thanks for this update, Griff. I was wondering what was going on last night. Sounded like more than one ‘copter circling my ‘hood!

· Reply
2

Kathie Galotti says:

June 2, 2010 at 8:43 pm

Ok, who was this guy such that the State Patrol would send out a helicopter??!! I can’t believe they do this for every suicide call?

· Reply
3

Griff Wigley says:

June 3, 2010 at 3:49 pm

Kathie, are you implying that someone of higher status (power, wealth, etc) would warrant this level of response but not necessarily one of us plain ‘ol citizens?

· Reply
- 3.1
  
  Patrick Enders says:
  
  June 3, 2010 at 5:16 pm
  
  In Baltimore, people with little wealth or power are frequently pursued by helicopters.
  
  · Reply
  - 3.1.1
    
    Scott Oney says:
    
    June 4, 2010 at 11:04 am
    
    Baltimore and people with little wealth or power, huh? Grad students at Johns Hopkins?
- 3.2
  
  Kathie Galotti says:
  
  June 4, 2010 at 7:14 am
  
  Griff: yes, that is exactly what I think
  
  · Reply

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It was the State Patrol’s FLIR helicopter you heard last night

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