The Illinois mother, who is the chief of her city's park district, is facing pushback for hiring an aircraft to land in a public park
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/helicopter-prom-051326-1-c24c67c494554fd39b0758b1c55d6841.jpg "person putting a corsage on a teenage girl's wrist; small commercial helicopter at the airport")
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NEED TO KNOW
- An Illinois mom is facing backlash for hiring a helicopter to land in a public park for her daughter’s prom photo shoot
- City officials claim the helicopter landed without authorization near homes and a playground, raising safety concerns
- The mom and pilot were cited for disorderly conduct and unauthorized landing and face fines under $200
A prom stunt involving a helicopter in a south suburb of Chicago has sparked controversy after officials allegedly did not approve it.
On Friday, May 8, Markham Park District Chief Quintina Brown arranged for her 17-year-old daughter to ride a helicopter to Rosener Park in Markham, Ill., for a photo shoot, CBS News Chicago and NBC 5 Chicago reported. However, several city officials claim the aircraft was not authorized to land in the public space.
“She was graduating and this was going to be a memorable experience. I just wanted to be able to provide that for her,” Brown told WGN-TV, while Markham Mayor Roger Agpawa slammed the incident. "This is what happens when you have no oversight, no governance," the mayor said, per NBC 5 Chicago. "You're not answering to the public as you should."
Court documents obtained by NBC 5 Chicago and filed against Brown on Tuesday, May 12 allege an "unpermitted landing and operation of a helicopter on park district property, near playgrounds and residential homes.” According to the city's attorney, Burt Odelson, a park district helicopter "would never be authorized in a residential neighborhood or jeopardizing the public safety."
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However, on Friday, Markham Police saw the aircraft flying “alarmingly” low in the area, before landing next to several homes near the park and an “active” basketball court, NBC 5 Chicago reported. After approaching the helicopter, officers asked the pilot if they had any registration or prior approval to land, CBS News Chicago added.
That's when Brown claimed the helicopter was okayed by Park Board President Lakeya Webb, the outlet reported. Per NBC 5 Chicago, the mom allegedly had written authorization, showing them an April 13 letter signed by Brown approving her daughter for the helicopter shoot.
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Webb denied this, telling the police, “The helicopter had nothing to do with the park district,” according to CBS News Chicago.
In the court documents obtained by NBC 5 Chicago, the pilot said Brown hired his company for $800 to do a prom photo shoot and short tour. The park district was reportedly listed as the customer and payee in the contract. Brown claimed "there was no misuse of funds at all” in arranging the stunt, adding that her credit card was used to pay for it.
Credit: WGN News/Youtube
Brown and the pilot were cited for disorderly conduct and unauthorized landing on public property. Brown now faces a fine of just under $200, per CBS News Chicago, with NBC 5 Chicago reporting that her case is set to go in front of a judge.
“I did not think it was going to blow up as much as it did, sadly,” Brown told WGNTV. “But I'm glad [my daughter] was happy and she was able to do her photo shoot despite the unexpected turn of events that transpired and unfortunately went viral.”
“We want to make sure that things are safe. We had no notice, nothing,” Mayor Agpawa told WGN-TV. “I've landed [helicopters] in neighborhoods. We've always had medical people … the fire department on standby. We've had spotters. We've had distances that were safe….”
PEOPLE has contacted the Markham Park District and Markham Police for comment.