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Home » Local News » Mesa

Harassing Mesa police copter results in jail

Mike Branom, Tribune

November 9, 2007 - 1:32AM , updated: November 9, 2007 - 7:16AM

A Mesa man must serve at least five days in jail for using a bright spotlight to harass the crew of a police helicopter, a judge decided Thursday.

David DeGroote, 38, was sentenced in Mesa Municipal Court on misdemeanor charges of endangerment, disorderly conduct and criminal nuisance.

His punishment, as handed down by Judge Paula O. Burgess, also includes mandatory counseling and three years of unsupervised probation.

If DeGroote completes those without incident, the court will suspend the remaining 25 days of jail time in his sentence.

According to police records, in November 2006, a Mesa police helicopter was searching for suspects in the theft of a bank’s automated teller machine.

One of the crew members was wearing night-vision goggles to aid in the hunt.

When the helicopter flew over DeGroote’s home, at 10437 E. Kiva Ave., a high-powered light blinded the crew for about 30 seconds, they said.

DeGroote has claimed since the incident that the police department’s aviation unit has harassed him and his family.

But prosecutors and the judge noted DeGroote’s residence is underneath the flight path of Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport, about 5 1/2 miles to the southwest.

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This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted below. Responsibility lies solely with the comment author.

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MesaGuy

So thats why the ghettobird has been spending so much time nearby. Suggest removal of this comment

November 9, 2007

Todd Stallion

Stupid, as if the helicopter was in any danger what-so-ever. These helicopters, especialy the News are annoying Comment has been reviewed

November 9, 2007

Why

Then why is it okay for them to blind you with their light? Suggest removal of this comment

November 9, 2007

Phoenix area is one big heliport

I live kinda close to a freeway in Tempe. This area ALWAYS has bad traffic in rush hour. On almost a daily basis, we get the television copter crews that must report the "breaking" news that there is traffic in Phoenix. They hover over our houses and shake our windows for about 20 minutes per "visit". I am sorry. I can see why a valley citizen would be angry at the copter nuisance. Did the story say what time the copter was hovering over his house? If a copter was hovering over my house in the middle of the night for a prolonged period, I would want to know who the heck it was. Hard to do that without light. If it can be proven that the guy knew it was the police, then he is cooked.

An ATM was stolen. Of course, the loss of money and property to a large corporation demands immediate and unrestricted attention by our local law enforcement community. Money and status once again buys eager law enforcement. If your small business got robbed, they would send one car out and file a report. If you ever hear from them again, you would be lucky.

Suggest removal of this comment

November 9, 2007

Joseph De Groote

This is a one sided story. We have given your paper all kinds of information documenting the one and a half year harrassment of David and his family. We have told you that we have dvds showing this. You refuse to print our side. Does local traffic go 15 times back and forth over a house at 2am and return at 4am? Does lacal traffic Shine their spotlight in the windsield of a 16 year old while she is driving in traffic? Your article deos not mention that this charge and the previouse one(for which he was acquited) were in retaliation for the lawsuit David has filed against the Mesa Police. We still have the logs and matching dvds of the harrassment. In addition, we have a log the neighbor made. We would be glad to share with you if you would want to print "the rest of the story". Comment has been reviewed

November 9, 2007

Rennelle

Those helicopters can be very annoying. They fly back and forth for long periods of time when they are not seaching for anyone late in the night. I stood outside one night just to see if they were using a spot light to find someone and they were not, but they kept coming back time and time again. It can really get to you after a while. They make so much nosie and it can wake you out of a sound sleep. I wish they would have a little consideration for the public. It seems to me that should be considered harrassment when it happens every night. Suggest removal of this comment

November 9, 2007

Darwin

Mesa Police helicopters, when not doing a specific search, need to remain 500 ft. agl-- just like general aviation airplanes are required. That would greatly help the rediculous noise helicopters make, which is much more than a small Cesna 182/72 or small Beechcraft. The Mesa chopper flies every night, that is also a rediculous waste of our tax dollars. It should only go up when called. Suggest removal of this comment

November 9, 2007

Rainbow Curve

My old house in las vegas is near a major intersection called the rainbow curve. A place where hwy 95, the summerlin expressway & ranibow blvd. all intersect.
Helicopters would hover at three different points over this intersection ( one of which was directly over my house ) all at the sametime. Additional helicpoters could be seen loitering nearby waiting to enter the pattern over the intersection. If I were the suspicios type I no doubt would have thought the same as the person mentioned in the article. Suggest removal of this comment

November 9, 2007

Reality

Once again the ignorance shines through. The PD helicopter is not a waste of money. They don't fly around and shine lights in your windows just to annoy you. First of all, a helicopter is not like a car. You can't just start it up and fly, theres an extended pre-flight check that must be done. The spotlight itself cant be just turned on and off like a flashlight, those hi output bulbs can only be turned on and off so many times before they burn out and they are not cheap. And as for money ruling law enforcement, I've never heard seen one patrol unit respond for a robbery of any size store. A little education on what really goes on will avoid you looking like fools. Comment has been reviewed

November 9, 2007

Fred Freid

Hey Tribune, you should be ashamed of yourselfs for printing this. I don't know how you could have left out more of the story. You make it sound like the police are in the right. Please tell the whole story--or are you afraid of the Police yourself?

Anyone who wants the whole story is very welcome to get the same information we provided to the Tribune!

Email me Myfreespeech34@hotmail.com.

I will email you the document.

Thanks for reading the Tribune.

Comment has been reviewed