Man threatens to shoot down medical helicopter in Green Township

GREEN TOWNSHIP, OH (FOX19) - "I haven't heard any complaints from him or anyone else about the noise from the helicopter," said Cpl. Daniel Vath of the Green Township Police Department.

That is, until Sunday. Police said Pflanz was unhappy with a UC Health Air Care helicopter flying over his property, saying he thought it was too low, according to police reports.

"The UC helicopter crew landed. A resident of Green Township drove up close to the helipad, and parked his truck out there.  He ended up having a conversation with the pilot," said Cpl. Vath.

That conversation, obscenity-laden and verbally abusive, say reports taken at the scene.

"The pilot and the witness both confirmed to us that he had threatened to shoot the helicopter down, basically, if he flew low over his property again," said Cpl. Vath.

Police say Pflanz was unarmed when they made contact with him.

For at least one neighbor, Pflanz's allegations are far from a surprise.

"It's not that surprising. He's just that kind of short temper. I didn't really think he'd go that far as to threaten somebody," said Betsch.

The old saying goes, "There's a first time for everything."

That's how police felt on Sunday.

"We haven't seen this yet. This is a new one for me. I don't think we've had any complaints about the noise from the helicopter. I definitely haven't had any threats like this before," Cpl. Vath told FOX19.

FOX19 called a telephone number listed for Pflanz, and the woman who answered said he was unavailable.

Another neighbor FOX19 spoke with off-camera says he's always had pleasant dealing with Pflanz, including fishing in the lake on his property.

A pilot, nurse and a physician were aboard the helicopter. The crew was grounded for a while and was unable to respond to emergencies during that time because of the alleged threat.

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