INSTRUCTOR WITH SPI ON NIGHT TRAINING FLT ACCUSED OF LOW FLT BY SHERIFF HELI FLYING BELOW THEM.

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WE CLBED TO 1500 FT MSL ON A MODIFIED STRAIGHT OUT DEP FROM RWY 19 AND PARALLELED THE RIO HONDO RIVER ON THE E SIDE. WE CONTINUED ON A SSW COURSE WITH TA'S FROM THE TWR UNTIL WE CROSSED THE I-10 FREEWAY WHERE WE CHANGED FREQS TO LAX APCH CTL (124.9). WE DID NOT ESTABLISH CONTACT WITH THE LAX CTLR; BUT MAINTAINED A LISTENING WATCH. WE FLEW OVER THE FLOODED WHITTIER NARROWS RECREATION AREA AT 1500 FT MSL AND CONTINUED ALONG THE E SIDE OF THE RIO HONDO RIVER TO ITS JUNCTION WITH THE LA RIVER. WHILE OVER THE WHITTIER NARROWS AREA WE SAW AN ANTI-COLLISION LIGHT (RED) PASS WELL UNDER US ON A NW TRACK. IT APPEARED TO BE ON A HELI. PROCEEDED W TO MOBIL REFINERY TO CHK IN FOR OUR LNDG AT TORRANCE ARPT. AFTER WE MADE OUR ENTRY CALL ON 124.0 OVER MOBIL; WE HEARD A CALL ASKING US TO MEET THE CALLER AFTER LNDG. AFTER LNDG AT TORRANCE AND WHILE WE WERE SECURING THE ACFT A HELI LANDED ON THE RAMP. 2 PEOPLE CAME OVER TO OUR TIEDOWN AREA AND 1 STATED THAT HE WAS WITH THE LA SHERIFF'S DEPT. I ASKED FOR HIS IDENT AND HE HAD NOTHING EXCEPT A LEATHER LABEL ON HIS FLT JACKET. HOWEVER; THE SECOND PERSON PRODUCED A BADGE AND IDENT. THE FIRST PERSON ASKED TO SEE MY LICENSE AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATE AND ALSO MY STUDENT'S LICENSE. AFTER THIS HE STATED THAT WE HAD FLOWN OVER THE CITY OF MONTEBELLO AT 800 FT. HE ASKED AT WHAT ALT WE THOUGHT WE WERE FLYING AND I STATED THAT WE WERE AT 1500 FT MSL. HE DISAGREED. AT NO TIME DURING OUR FLT WAS A HELI IN CLOSE PROX TO OUR ACFT OR IN FORMATION SO AS TO DETERMINE OUR ALT ACCURATELY. I BELIEVE THAT THE OFFICER MADE AN INACCURATE ESTIMATE OF OUR POS AND ALT. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES HE WAS INVITED BY FSDO TO COME DOWN AND CHAT ABOUT THE INCIDENT. HE DID SO AND ADVISED THAT HE HAD FILED ASRS RPT. AFTER IN-DEPTH DISCUSSION IN WHICH RPTR REPEATED HE WAS OVER FLOODED AREA AND NOT ANY POPULATED AREA AND CONTINUOUSLY AT 1500 FT; FAA ASKED IF HE WOULD ADMIT TO LOW FLYING. HE SAID 'NO.' FAA SAID AS FAR AS THEY WERE CONCERNED THERE WAS NO PROBLEM. SHERIFF OFFICER WROTE A LONG RPT OF THE EVENT AND REQUESTED THAT TFC TICKET BE ISSUED FOR LOW FLT. STRANGE REQUEST INDICATING LACK OF KNOWLEDGE OF FARS.