Man allegedly fires at LAPD helicopter, arrested for attempted murder

(CBS/AP/KCBS) LOS ANGELES - A Los Angeles teenager was arrested on Easter Sunday after allegedly shooting at a police helicopter.

Danny Anthony Lopez, 18, allegedly fired a semi-automatic rifle first at random and then at the police helicopter that was responding to reports of shots fired. The airborne officers were forced to make an emergency landing at the nearby Van Nuys Airport after their fuel tank was hit. No officers were injured, say authorities.

Police say Lopez was firing the rifle because he was distraught over the death of a friend, reports CBS station KCBS.

Lopez was tackled to the ground by family members and taken into custody on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer, authorities said.

A tip about a possible second gunman led to a 7-hour search by authorities who reportedly evacuated buildings and even fired  tear gas into one apartment building but found no evidence of an additional shooter. Many of the evacuated residents were forced to spend part of their Easter Sunday in a nearby school auditorium.

Jail records showed Lopez was being held without bail at Van Nuys Jail.

"This situation could have easily turned tragic, and we were just fortunate," Assistant Chief Earl Paysinger said. "It's ironic that it happened on Easter Sunday. Someone divine was watching over us."