By Stephen Dinan – The Washington Times

Federal authorities arrested a man Thursday in what they said is believed to be the first criminal case ever brought against someone for flying a drone in an unsafe manner.

The drone crashed into the bottom of a Los Angeles Police Department helicopter flying over the scene of a burglary in September, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing. The drone also fell from the sky, smashing the window on a car near the scene, the FBI said.

Pieces of the drone were recovered and the FBI obtained a warrant to search through the images saved on its camera and electronic storage card, and found images Andrew Rene Hernandez had taken of himself operating the drone in the months before the crash.

A witness also fingered the apartment where Mr. Hernandez lived, saying residents frequently flew drones from there.

When FBI agents interviewed him, they say Mr. Hernandez admitted to flying the drone, saying he wanted to see what all the police activity was about.

A witness also fingered the apartment where Mr. Hernandez lived, saying residents frequently flew drones from there.

When FBI agents interviewed him, they say Mr. Hernandez admitted to flying the drone, saying he wanted to see what all the police activity was about.

The U.S. attorney’s office in Los Angeles said it’s the first such prosecution ever.

A police department helicopter pilot told the FBI if the drone had struck the main rotor instead of the fuselage it could have brought the helicopter down.

If someone had been injured or killed, the penalties could have been much higher.

Unsafe drone operations have become a major risk, experts say. They’re interfered with law enforcement operations, and have also disrupted wildland firefighting efforts, forcing then to be shut down for a time while the drones are in the area.

The FBI agent who filed the criminal complaint in court is part of a new FBI wildland fire counter-drone team.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2020/nov/19/andrew-hernandez-charged-after-drone-crashed-polic/