TV NEWS HELI HAS NMAC WITH POLICE HELI IN PURSUIT.

Narrative

I AM RPTING THIS NEAR MID-AIR COLLISION BASED ON THE WORD OF THE PLT OF THE OTHER ACFT INVOLVED; THE LAST TIME I HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH SUCH ACFT BEFORE THE CLOSE CALL; I WAS MAINTAINING A SAFE CLRNC. THE INCIDENT OCCURRED DURING A HIGH SPD PURSUIT OF A STOLEN CAR. A HELI WAS PROVIDING AIR SUPPORT TO THE GND UNITS WHEN I JOINED THEM TO PROVIDE TV LIVE COVERAGE OF THE EVENT. A THIRD HELI (NEWS ACFT) WAS ALREADY COVERING THE PURSUIT WHEN I ARRIVED. I RPTED MY POS WHEN JOINING THE CHASE ON THE AIR TO AIR RECOMMENDED FREQ OF 123.025; AT THAT TIME I WAS LEVEL AT 1200 FT MSL AND WITH VISUAL CONTACT OF BOTH THE POLICE (AT 900 FT MSL) AND THE NEWS HELI (AT APPROX 1300 FT MSL). MY CAMERAMAN WAS SHOOTING VIDEO FROM THE R REAR DOOR WHILE I WAS RPTING LIVE FOR THE TV CHANNEL. THE SUSPECT IN THE CAR MADE SEVERAL TURNS TRYING TO LOSE THE PATROL CARS UNTIL HE CAME TO A STOP AT A DEAD END STREET. AT APPROX THAT TIME THE POLICE HELI MADE A L TURN TO KEEP HIS OBSERVER ON THE SUSPECT THAT HAD LEFT THE CAR AND WAS NOW RUNNING ALONG SOME RAILROAD TRACKS. AT THE SAME TIME I MADE A R TURN TO KEEP MY CAMERAMAN ON THE SHOT; IT IS AT THIS TIME WHEN ACCORDING TO THE PLT OF THE SHIP AND THE PLT OF THE OTHER NEWS STATION (APPROX 300 FT ABOVE US) THAT WE CAME INTO A COLLISION COURSE. THE LAST TIME I HAD VISUAL CONTACT WITH THE POLICE ACFT WAS JUST LESS THAN A MIN BEFORE I MADE MY R TURN. I WAS MONITORING THE 123.02 FREQ AT ALTERNATE TIMES BUT HAVING SOME TROUBLE WITH ITS RECEPTION; I WAS ALSO MONITORING 4 OTHER RADIO FREQS (2 PRODUCTION RADIOS; 1 PROGRAMMING RADIO; AN INTERCOM) AND RPTING LIVE. ACCORDING TO THE POLICE PLT; HE ASKED ME TO CLB TO 1200 FT MSL MORE THAN ONCE; AT THIS TIME I WAS LEVEL AT APPROX 1000 FT MSL. I ONLY COPIED SUCH REQUEST ONCE; AT WHICH TIME I IMMEDIATELY CLBED AND RPTED LEVEL AT 1200 FT MSL. I PERSONALLY CANNOT CONFIRM THIS NEAR MISS BECAUSE I NEVER SAW HIM AT AN UNSAFE DISTANCE FROM MY ACFT NOR DID MY CAMERAMAN. IF SUCH INCIDENT DID OCCUR; I THINK IT WAS DUE MAINLY TO THE RECEPTION PROB WITH MY RADIOS; COMBINED WITH THE HVY LOAD WORK IN MY AND THE POLICE HELI'S COCKPIT AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT. IT WAS BOTH OF OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SEE AND AVOID. CORRECTIVE ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN WITH THE RADIO SYS IN THE HELI.