[jacquesm]

If a helicopter is not a good platform to do this work from then it shouldn't be done from a helicopter.

The whole reason this stuff happens is because at 'stand-off' range the person in the chopper might be safe but those on the ground are no longer to be identified. It's the doctrine of force protection that is the cause here, not some hyped up kid with a trigger happy finger. He shouldn't have been there in the first place.

Helicopters are not good at police work, they're good for killing people long distance without too much discrimination. Better zoom lenses would be a mixed bag, it would give you even less field-of-view with a more jittery aim.

Choppers are great at evacuation and for killing people and destroying stuff.

Boots on the ground are better at identifying friend-or-foe (and even then there are plenty of mistakes) but are more vulnerable.