Winnipeg police sorry for 'X-rated' chopper talk overheard by public - Action News
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Manitoba

Winnipeg police sorry for 'X-rated' chopper talk overheard by public

The Winnipeg Police Service has apologized for the racy comments of two helicopter officers who didn't realize their public address system was on, but at least one woman who heard them talk about oral sex wants the officers disciplined.

WARNING: Story contains graphic language

Winnipeg police sorry for 'X-rated' chopper talk overheard by public

9 years ago
Duration 2:05
Residents in the city's downtown, North End, West End and St. Boniface areas heard two police officers in a helicopter broadcast comments about oral sex

AWinnipeg woman who heard two police officers in a helicopter broadcast comments about oral sex comments they madewithout realizing their public address system was on says she wants them disciplined.

The Winnipeg Police Service has already apologized for the incident,which happened while the pair and one other officer were on routine patrol aboard the Air-1 helicopter on Monday evening.
The talk aboard the Winnipeg police chopper, also known as Air-1, sparked some Twitter conversation Monday night. (Brian Bowman/Twitter)

A news release from the policesaid the officersinadvertently activated the PAsystem and"as a result, the flight crew's conversation was publicly broadcast [and]some content of the conversation was inappropriate."

"The involved members were not able to hear the public address system from within the aircraft. They became aware their conversation had been broadcast and immediately turned the system off."

Residents in the city's downtown, North End andWest End reported hearing parts of the officers' conversations, which at one point touched on oral sex.

Brandi Armstrong said she and her husband were sitting outside their West Endhomeat around 9:30 p.m. CTwhen the chopper flew above them.

Armstrong said she heard one officer ask, "Can you give me a blowjob?"

She said another officer replied, "You have too much body hair."

"Shocked, surprised. My jaw hit the ground; eyes bulged out," Armstrong said, adding that her husband was also surprised.

"He just looked at me and started laughing and said, 'Did you hear that, honey? Did you really hear that?'"

Remarks posted online

Parts of the officers' conversation werequickly posted onTwitterand then spread further across social media.

The tweets started about 10 p.m. CTand caused hashtags like#whoops and #speakerphoneto trend in the Winnipeg area.

One of the first peopleto tweet about overhearing the remarks,Natanielle Felicitas, told CBC News she was enjoying a nice evening in herbackyard with friends when the voices came from the sky.

"We paused to listen and were shocked by what we heard. It was a hilarious and inappropriate human blooper moment," she wrote in an email. "I rarely tweet, but this moment seemed too bizarre not to share."

Jacob Serebrinwas walking with a friend near the Manitoba Legislature when they heard loud voices coming from above.

"We look up and there it is passing over and the two men in the helicopter were having a conversation, and we could hear part of it some swears and some references to money," he said, adding he did not hear a specific reference to fellatio.

"Everyone does have private conversations in the workplace," Serebrin said."But you know, there's certain things that are inappropriate for any workplace."

The police service saidthe incident is being reviewed and the outcome "will be determined at a later time."

"The Winnipeg Police Service, the Flight Operations Unit, and the involved members sincerely apologize to all members of the public, especially those who overheard the broadcast," the release states in part.

But Armstrong said she believes the officers involved should be disciplined,because children in the area could haveeasily heard their remarks.

"A police officer,they hold a very important job. Tons of people look up to them. Children look up to them," she said.

"I mean, you're setting a bad example for children. It's almost saying it's OK to speak like this."