Private John William Leatherbury, Jr.

John William Leatherbury, Jr.

Private John Leatherbury was killed in a police helicopter accident while assisting officers who were searching a bank building that had been found with an open door.

The Hughes 300 helicopter was hovering over the bank when its main rotor blades struck power lines and crashed onto a parking deck at Iverson Mall. Private Leatherbury and the civilian pilot were both killed instantly.

The police department was leasing the helicopter for a three week period as it evaluated whether or not to start a helicopter unit.