C172 PLT WAS INTERCEPTED BY A POLICE HELI AND ORDERED TO TURN INTO R-5101 UNDER THREAT OF BEING SHOT DOWN. THE POLICE HELI WAS 'PROTECTING' A TFR; BUT APPARENTLY DID NOT KNOW WHERE THEY WERE; OR WHERE THE TFR AREA WAS.

Narrative

IN THE WEEK PRIOR TO A PLANNED FLT FROM 1N1 TO SKX; I HEARD CONFLICTING RPTS FROM VARIOUS SOURCES CONCERNING THE TFR ALONG MY PLANNED RTE. I WAS AWARE THAT I WOULD NEED A TFR BRIEFING PRIOR TO MY FLT. AT APPROX XA00 MAY/SAT/03; I CONTACTED ABQ FLT SVC FOR MY WX AND TFR BRIEFING. I WAS ADVISED THAT THERE HAD BEEN MANY CHANGES; BUT THAT IF I PROCEEDED TO COCHITI LAKE AND THEN N OVER THE RIO GRANDE; THAT I WOULD BE WELL CLR OF THE TFR. NO MENTION WAS MADE OF A NEED TO MONITOR 121.5; TO CONTACT ZAB; OR TO FILE A FLT PLAN. AT THE APPROX LOCATION OF 14 NM FROM THE SAF VOR ON THE 314 DEG RADIAL AT 9500 FT; WHILE MONITORING LOS ALAMOS (LAM) UNICOM FOR TFC; I WAS INTERCEPTED BY A LARGE KHAKI COLORED HELI MARKED 'POLICE.' MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THEY WERE PATROLLING THE AREA OF THE TFR. I DIDN'T THINK THAT IT HAD ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY PRESENCE; BECAUSE I FELT VERY SECURE IN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT I WAS CLR OF THE TFR. I WAS REMAINING OVER THE SOUTHERLY APCH TO THE LOS ALAMOS ARPT; HAD JUST PASSED THE 'RADIO-TELESCOPE.' THERE WAS LOS ALAMOS TFC SBOUND AT 9000 FT. I HAD A BRIEF RADIO EXCHANGE WITH THIS PLT FOR TFC AVOIDANCE. COINCIDING WITH MY COM WITH LOS ALAMOS TFC; I NOTICED THAT THE UNIFORMED MEN IN THE HELI WERE HOLDING UP A SIGN WITH THE FREQ 121.5 WRITTEN ON IT. I TURNED TO THAT FREQ AND BEGAN MY COM WITH THEM. THEIR FIRST COM WITH ME WAS; 'TURN IMMEDIATELY TO A HEADING OF 270 DEGS. YOU HAVE BUSTED A TFR AND MAY BE SHOT DOWN.' WHILE TURNING TO 270 DEGS; I XMITTED TO THEM THAT I FOLLOWED THE FSS INSTRUCTIONS REGARDING REMAINING OVER THE RIO GRANDE; AND DID NOT BELIEVE I HAD BUSTED THE TFR. THEY REPEATED THEIR XMISSION. AMONG MY CONCERNS AT THIS HEADING WAS MY AWARENESS OF THE LOS ALAMOS RESTR AREA (R-5101) AND OF THE HIGH MOUNTAINOUS TERRAIN AHEAD OF ME. I MENTIONED BOTH OF THESE CONCERNS TO THE HELI; AND THAT I MIGHT NEED TO CHANGE ALT. THEIR RESPONSE WAS; 'STAND BY.' VERY SHORTLY; MY GPS INDICATED THAT I WAS INDEED IN THE LOS ALAMOS RESTR AREA. THEIR NEXT XMISSION AFTER FLYING W 5 MI; I COULD CONTINUE ON COURSE. I EXITED THE N BOUNDARY OF THE LOS ALAMOS RESTR AREA. UPON ARRIVING AT TAOS MUNICIPAL; I LEARNED FROM THE FBO THAT A GOV AGENT WOULD BE GETTING A RPT FROM ME. A CALL FROM THE SECRET SVC STATED THAT I HAD NOT BUSTED THE TFR AND THAT NO RPT WOULD BE NECESSARY.