The Los Angeles Police Department has released body-worn camera and aerial footage from a November 2025 incident in South Los Angeles that shows a man firing multiple rounds at a police helicopter before a prolonged standoff that ended with his arrest.
The video, published by LAPD on Jan. 4, documents a confrontation that unfolded on Nov. 20, 2025, in the 2100 block of West 76th Street in the Manchester Square neighborhood. Officers from the department’s 77th Street Division were responding to a reported assault with a deadly weapon when an LAPD Air Support Division helicopter arrived over the scene.
According to police, the helicopter crew observed 57-year-old Anthony Whitsey standing in the front yard of his home holding a handgun. Footage shows Whitsey raising the weapon and firing approximately three to five shots toward the aircraft. The helicopter was not struck, and no officers were injured.
After the air crew broadcast an emergency call, ground officers approached the residence and encountered Whitsey still armed. Police said officers issued repeated commands for him to drop the weapon. When he did not comply, officers fired at Whitsey during an officer-involved shooting. Authorities said he was not hit.
Whitsey later dropped the handgun but continued to ignore commands to surrender. Officers then deployed a 40mm less-lethal launcher, striking him with non-lethal rounds. He subsequently retreated into his home and barricaded himself, prompting a standoff that lasted several hours.
SWAT officers and a K9 unit from the LAPD’s Metropolitan Division were called to the scene. At approximately 5 p.m., Whitsey exited the residence and was taken into custody after being bitten by a police dog. He was transported to a hospital for treatment and later medically cleared. Police said his injuries were related to the K9 bite and not gunfire.
No officers, air crew members, or civilians were injured during the incident. The handgun was recovered and booked into evidence.
Whitsey was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon on a peace officer under California law. Bail was set at just under $2 million, and he was held at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility. The LAPD’s Force Investigation Division is overseeing the investigation, which remains ongoing. As of Jan. 5, no additional charging decisions have been publicly announced by the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
