Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
This is an archival story that predates current editorial management.
This archival content was written, edited, and published prior to LAist's acquisition by its current owner, Southern California Public Radio ("SCPR"). Content, such as language choice and subject matter, in archival articles therefore may not align with SCPR's current editorial standards. To learn more about those standards and why we make this distinction, please click here.
Drone Operator Handcuffed After Close Call With LAPD Chopper
whirrrrrrrrrrrr (Photo by risteski goce via Shutterstock)
()
LAPD officers weren't too happy when a police chopper had a close call with a drone last night, and ended up detaining its operator and confiscating his equipment.
Around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday, an LAPD chopper was being used in a search for a suspect in East Hollywood, near Western Avenue and Sunset Boulevard, when it had to dodge a drone that was flying nearby. Officers managed to track down its operator in a Rite Aid parking lot at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street, and detained the man and confiscated his equipment. A news crew was on hand to record the officers' interaction with the drone operator:
"This is new territory," Officer Nuria Vanegas told the L.A. Times.
Support for LAist comes from
According to KTLA, the drone operator says he had no idea that the police chopper was in the area, but CBS 2 says the man was reportedly flying around to record the police activity. The chopper was flying lower than usual, which is why it may have encountered the drone.
The man was eventually released, but the LAPD is looking into filing possible charges against him for interfering with police work.
In Sacramento, lawmakers are considering a bill that would allow firefighters and first-responders to destroy any drones that get in the way of their work. In recent wildfires, such as the Lake Fire and the North Fire, firefighters had their work interrupted by drones.
The LAPD has its own drones but still hasn't worked out a policy over how to use them. It also has frowned on civilian drone use before, expressing their unhappiness with Tom Zebra when he flew over the Hollywood police station and over an Ezell Ford protest.
The suspect the chopper was searching for was never found.
Related:
Some Jerk Almost Crashed Their Drone Into A Medical Chopper Carrying A Patient
Video: Fed-Up Fisherman Hooks Annoying Drone Flying By Pier
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
If approved, the more than 62-acre project would include 50 housing lots and a marina less than a mile from Jackie and Shadow's famous nest overlooking the lake. -
The U.S. Supreme Court lifted limits on immigration sweeps in Southern California, overturning a lower court ruling that prohibited agents from stopping people based on their appearance.
-
Censorship has long been controversial. But lately, the issue of who does and doesn’t have the right to restrict kids’ access to books has been heating up across the country in the so-called culture wars.
-
With less to prove than LA, the city is becoming a center of impressive culinary creativity.
-
Nearly 470 sections of guardrailing were stolen in the last fiscal year in L.A. and Ventura counties.
-
Monarch butterflies are on a path to extinction, but there is a way to support them — and maybe see them in your own yard — by planting milkweed.
Best of LAist