Paraglider prompts strange sky chase after jail flyover

Local broadcaster KABC-TV flew near Los Angeles County’s Pitchess Detention Centre and caught Monday’s incident on camera.

Patrol deputies, jail deputies and the sheriff’s patrol helicopter monitored and followed the glider as it traversed the air space by Pitchess, according to a news release issued Tuesday by the Sheriff’s Department.

The Los Angeles Times reports that the helicopter gave chase because they anxious that the 67-year-old man was trying to drop contraband into the detention center.

Deputies responded to the scene via helicopter, and using their siren and public address system demanded that he land.

The man apologized repeatedly, saying he didn’t mean to fly near the jail, but the wind blew him there.

Authorities said they were still investigating, but the man had no contraband, was not spotted dropping anything and was not arrested or cited.

After more than 10 minutes, the paraglider hit the ground near Tapia Canyon Paintball Center in Castaic.

“Deputies watched and did not see the pilot drop anything from the motorized hangglider”, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department added in a statement.