My friends tell a similar story about a police helicopter while on a beer run, but  ours was at night.

The runner was a fit guy and properly dressed. He got away on foot with the beer, but somehow he was spotted by a random patrol squad while exiting Vons. Very unlucky.

But being fit, he was able to run across the street to an apartment complex and hide. However, he dropped the beer in the middle of an open air courtyard.

By this point, the cops must have radioed to a local helicopter already in air. With the police helicopter circling above, they fixed the helicopter's spotlight on the 2 cases in the middle of courtyard.

My friend was hiding in a planter as the police unit chased him through the complex. He had a decision to make: risk going for the beer or not getting caught.

He wisely chose the latter and we were able to safely pick him up a few blocks away. In the end, no beer, but a great story.