DeKalb police helicopter lands in park

A DeKalb County police helicopter made an unplanned landing in Dunaire Park, east of the jail, around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, a police spokeswoman said.

Mekka Parish, a DeKalb County police spokeswoman, said the pilot smelled smoke in the cockpit and landed the helicopter as a precaution in the park on George Luther and Memorial Drive. After an inspection, officials determined the odor originated from the air conditioning. Parish said the helicopter has returned to the police landing pad.

In January, the department replaced a helicopter that was destroyed in a September 2010 crash. The replacement cost $1.6 million.