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Police Recording Confirms NYPD Flew At a Drone and Never Feared Crashing

Jason Koebler (3528235) writes An air traffic control recording confirms that a New York Police Department helicopter flew at a drone hovering near the George Washington Bridge earlier this week—not the other way around. What's more, police had no idea what to charge the drone pilots with, and never appeared to fear a crash with the drone.
Two men were arrested Monday on felony reckless endangerment charges after the NYPD said the two flew their drone "very close" to a law enforcement chopper, causing the police helicopter to take evasive maneuvers. Air traffic control recordings suggest that only happened after the chopper pilot decided to chase the drone.

30 of 310 comments (clear)

  1. So by afidel · · Score: 5, Insightful

    So when are reckless endangerment charges going to be filed against the pilot? He intentionally steered his craft towards an object that they admit through their own filings presented a risk of a crash.

    --
    There are 4 boxes to use in the defense of liberty: soap, ballot, jury, ammo. Use in that order. Starting now.
    1. Re:So by sabri · · Score: 5, Informative

      How is it reckless endangerment when the police were supposed to be in the area and did their job by investigating something suspicious?

      Basic VFR separation guidelines still apply, even to a police helicopter.

      --
      I'm not a complete idiot... Some parts are missing.
    2. Re:So by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      They lied about the drone flying at and following the helicopter. It was, in fact the helicopter that flew recklessly at the drone. IOW, the NYPD falsified their report in order to make an arrest.

    3. Re:So by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      So... they filed a false report.
        Fire them and press charges. We can't have the police lying on reports.

    4. Re:So by Runaway1956 · · Score: 5, Interesting

      *sigh* I just wasted moderator points - just posting to negate the effects . . . .

      Since I'm here, I'll point out that cops do the same thing on the ground. They chase you, maybe you're doing 80 or 90, but the cop exceeds 100 mph catching up to you. The police report states that the chase exceeded 100 mph, and the judge looks at that, and throws several books at you.

      It would be great if cops were trustworthy.

      --
      "Windows is like the faint smell of piss in a subway: it's there, and there's nothing you can do about it." - Charlie Br
    5. Re:So by fustakrakich · · Score: 5, Interesting

      Yet we will not see perjury charges against them. How quaint.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    6. Re:So by rogoshen1 · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Those small-cities which buy surplus APC's for their 'SWAT' teams beg to differ.

      They're the police, and due to their newly found paramilitary status are better able to keep us safe. Like from your dog. Did you know it was a threat? It is.. or was, that's why they shot and killed it when breaking into your house.

    7. Re:So by racermd · · Score: 4, Insightful

      The flight controller didn't do any of the recording. The FAA (a *federal* agency, mind you) mandates ALL radio transmissions be recorded. The flight controller's only job is to control traffic. They have zero ability to trigger, delete, modify, etc., recordings. The pilot of every aircraft should know this so it wouldn't be something they'd be all that concerned about. Their supervisors/managers on the ground may not know this, however... And the FAA is quite good about responding to FOIA requests.

      Also, firing a federal employee is actually really hard, even for cause. Usually, they're just given a crappy job with almost nothing to do so they'll feel motivated to quit on their own. Trust me, that's actually a LOT easier than getting firing someone at the federal level. Besides, even the NYPD can't get a federal employee fired since the NYPD is a state-level agency.

      The most likely outcome, in my opinion, is that the NYPD will grudgingly admit their mistake, tell the pair to knock it off in some semi-friendly manner while the cameras are watching, then go back to business-as-usual until they're caught in their own lies again. Meanwhile, we'll all continue to bitch and moan about the "police state" and post ignorant comments in random places on the internet. Heck, I'm doing that right now!

      --
      My sources are unreliable, but their information is fascinating. -- Ashleigh Brilliant
    8. Re:So by tysonedwards · · Score: 4, Informative

      The pilot also said that the drone accomplished a Mach 0.9 vertical ascent.

      --
      Thirty four characters live here.
    9. Re:So by sabri · · Score: 5, Informative

      Since I'm here, I'll point out that cops do the same thing on the ground.

      But they are not. And while they are police officers, they generally have no authority in the air. What flies in the air is all subject to the FAA and a regular officer (even those flying a police helicopter to assist ground units) are limited to FAA rules and regulations.

      Unlike ground vehicles, a police helicopter will not be exempt from FAA flight rules and regulations. If the pilot is flying VFR, he is to maintain VFR separation from other flying objects, whether they are in the air lawful or not. The reasoning behind this is obviously that if he fails to do so and somehow crashes into it, his badge will not protect anyone on the ground from getting hurt from the crashing helicopter or whatever object he flies into.

      Furthermore, his badge will give him police authority, but the FAA can simply revoke his pilot's license and ground him.

      --
      I'm not a complete idiot... Some parts are missing.
    10. Re:So by sjames · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Filing the false report is the first charge. Next up, unlawful imprisonment. Next up, reckless endangerment of everyone around them who could have been injured/killed (they themselves said it was a very dangerous situation, they don't get to say it was no big deal now). Finally, federal penalties for violating FAA rules and regulations. Perhaps the pilot should have his license suspended.

      If NYPD is a police force rather than organized crime, they will see to it that all of the above happens AND release the men they arrested with deepest apologies.

    11. Re:So by sabri · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Cars on the ground can, with little exception, stop any time they feel like giving up the chase and turning themselves in to the officers. Aircraft have no such ability, and if you were being actively closely pursued by another aircraft it could even prove fatal to try and land. That doesn't even take into account the risks involved to the people on the ground below, who the police in this case endangered by engaging in pursuit -- the correct action would be to have the ATC track the belligerent until it landed, and arrest the pilots there. Following it at high speed, closely, it precisely what FAA regulations were intended to prevent.

      I could not agree more. One addition:

      In the air, pilots have the authority to deviate from every rule in the book, if they deem it necessary for the safety of the flight. This is even stressed out by the FAA themselves in every WINGS seminar on this topic I've attended. Roughly the same authority goes to Air Traffic Control when a pilot declares an emergency.

      Yes, my non-pilot friends, you read that correct. If a pilot declares an emergency, he is the ultimate authority in the sky over what he does, with ATC being his best wingman with broad authority to divert anyone else. That includes everyone with a badge as well.

      Obviously, with authority comes responsibility. Once the flight has ended, the pilot must usually attend a hearing where he (or she) must explain their actions and may even lose their license on it. Every pilot is expected to show good airmenship, and the helicopter pilot pursuing a drone may have been making some judgements that are open for discussion.

      --
      I'm not a complete idiot... Some parts are missing.
  2. Incoming South Park Reference by DeathByLlama · · Score: 5, Funny

    /// Drone hovers lazily next to the river ///
    NYPD: It's coming right for us! *BANG BANG BANG*

    Every drone is an imminent threat.

  3. Obligatory painful comment by Uberbah · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I guess every story has at least one.

    So, the cop saw someone breaking the law, gave chase, and then they're the bad guys because the suspect tried to ram them?

    No, you twit. They're bad guys for lying about it.

    No drone, or "remotely piloted aircraft" in DoD newspeak, should be flown over a populated area.

    Charge them for what they did do, not make shit up about what they didn't do. This isn't hard.

  4. Re:Obligatory Car Analogy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    No, they're bad guys because they falisified a fucking police report.

  5. Re:Obligatory Car Analogy by rahvin112 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    There is no information that the drone tried to ram the helicopter, you are making that up. What information we do have indicates that the helicopter rushed the drone then gave chase when it left the area. From this the police charged the people with reckless endangerment because their helicopter got close to the drone. If there was reckless endangerment it was on the part of the police.

    Baring other details being released IMO this isn't much different than the police arresting photographers photographing them for wiretapping or violating their privacy and other such nonsense. The police created this situation deliberately so they could charge the guys. Not much different than the video's of them screaming stop resisting while they beat someone unconsciousness that isn't resisting.

  6. Re:Yay big government! by itsenrique · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sorry, I'll bite. The problem is that the "anti-tax" people that are elected (and electable in the future) are not against giving more money and power to the police in general. And neither are the "pro-tax" people. This isn't about money. It's about power and authoritarian over-reach. You could take away their choppers and tanks and cut salaries but that wouldn't address the underlying issues. By trying to steer this into a conversation about taxes you fail to see the very real problems with police brutality, corruption, lying, profiling, and on and on. Now, back on topic...

  7. So... by saleenS281 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The cops who falsified their reports are going to jail, right? If I am found falsely testifying under oath, that's my sentencing. What? They'll get off with a slap on the wrist and *MAYBE* a week's paid vacation? I wonder why citizens distrust police in this country.

  8. Re:Obligatory Car Analogy by cdrudge · · Score: 5, Interesting

    No drone, or "remotely piloted aircraft" in DoD newspeak, should be flown over a populated area.

    So would flying them over a large body of mostly unoccupied water be ok? Like perhaps a river that's 2/3 of a mile wide?

  9. Re:Obligatory Car Analogy by EmagGeek · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It is legal because there is no Law against it.

    Everything is legal that is not prohibited by a Law.

    Laws are a blacklist, not a whitelist, just like the Constitution is a blacklist of things government is not allowed to do, not a whitelist of things Citizens ARE allowed to do.

  10. Re:you would think prop wash would down the drone by PseudoCoder · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I've personally seen how the rotorwash of a helo more than a half mile away turned over a 25 lb aircraft during a design competition fly-off back in my college days in Florida. Damn good pilot from Univ. of Puerto Rico recovered a highly loaded bird from fully inverted and brought it in. I have no doubt that a 5 lb quad-copter would get tossed around like a speck of dust. Either they weren't that close, or the autopilot did a hell of a job keeping the thing upright and under control.

    --
    "Now, I doubt any of you would prefer a rolled up newspaper as a weapon against a dictator or a criminal intruder."
  11. Re:Typical by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Remember 9-11? Along with all those poor FDNY guys who died, a few cops got taken out also actually helping people - not many - but a few.

    There were TONS of memorials and honors given to the New York Firemen who died, but NOTHING for the NY police who did.

    I wonder why.

    Agreeing with you: By and large, cops are cowards. They're #1 priority is making sure "they get home safe". They are a bunch of backstabbing murderers as attested to by every cop who has never filed complaints with IA against other officers because "They need to make sure they have each others' backs". If your partner will murder you because you truthfully testify that he lies on his timesheet, that mofo should not be a cop with a gun. Interactions with cops generally is a bad experience. They've even gone to the Supreme court to demand they NOT be obligated to protect people:
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Warren_v._District_of_Columbia

    Contrast that with the fire department. Sure, there are corrupt fire inspectors and crap, but there's no red/blue wall of silence about it. If I'm passed out from smoke inhalation and the guy breaking down the door and carrying me to safety wants to lighten my wallet while another is doing the CPR thing, I'm AOK with that.

  12. Re:Yay big government! by lgw · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Government, police, etc will always be corrupt. Always. People are people. The only defense is to give them just barely enough resources to do their job, with no excess or space for overreach. It's all about taxes - taxes are the only practical weapon the common voter has against government overreach, and the Constitution was written with this fundamental truth firmly in mind.

    Of course, of all of Congress there are but a handful of congresscritters who actually are for less government spending, and usually the voter's choice is merely between which group of supporters the tax money will go to. That's a cultural problem in the US, and we can't begin to fix it until every call for lower taxes stops being dismissed with "you anarchist and probable racist, why do you want 0 government".

    Fixing the problem starts with popular acceptance of the idea that one can say we're sending too much without being some extremist calling for the end of government. Less does not mean none - spread the word!

    --
    Socialism: a lie told by totalitarians and believed by fools.
  13. The cops should be fired, charged, and jailed. by grheller · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Filing a false report is a very serious charge as a civilian -- it should be even worse when a couple of cops do it. Lets take a look at this, false arrest, filing false reports, just generally conduct unbecoming, big payout to those falsely arrested.My hat is off to those folks over at the FAA. We can count on the FAA to be honorable and straight shooting, about the only Federal Agency that still cares about doing their job right.

  14. Re:Yay big government! by FrozenToothbrush · · Score: 5, Insightful

    What you're describing takes a fundamental change in the human condition of most people. Money and taxes are an enabler for those who are pro-authoritarian. I don't think the original posters thought should be dismissed so coldly.

  15. Re:Obligatory Car Analogy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The US Constitution is not a black list it is a white list. It is a document stating which powers The People give the government. This idea has been lost on many people, and I believe is the source of many of the problems we see.

  16. Re:Fix this like we fix education by visualight · · Score: 5, Insightful

    You're a god damn idiot, trying to tie this to sex education in schools and labor unions. Not everything wrong in the world is connected to the handful of issues that literally define your identity. An identity made for you by the likes of the Heritage Foundation, Freedomworks, and Americans For Prosperity ( and dozens more ).

    I swear, for most of my life I've tried to be gentle when it comes to politics and religion, but look what that's got us. People like you who troll forums and try to find every opportunity to regurgitate the propaganda you're too stupid to see through.

    Next time you feel like stretching the current topic into a place where you can insert a not-so-witty, not-so-clever comment on big-guvment or unions, just SHUT THE FUCK UP.

    --
    Samsung took back my unlocked bootloader because Google wants me to rent movies. They're both evil.
  17. Re:Typical by sycodon · · Score: 5, Insightful

    In 2013, 101 firefighters died in the line of duty.

    In 2013, about 110 police officers died...mostly in traffic accidents. Only 33 due to firearms and even among those few actually killed by bad guys.

    Firefighters risk their lives on every call and are protected by nothing more than a thick coat and helmet and their brains.

    The Police face risks on every call but most a boring and not dangerous. They are protected by firearms, theirs and their partners, ballistic vests, and overwhelming firepower when needed.

    The Police kill innocent people all the time. Firefighters rescue innocent people all the time.

    Hats off to Fire Fighters.

    --
    When Fascism comes to America, it will call itself Anti-Fascism, and tell you to give up your guns.
  18. Re:Yay big government! by Bob9113 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The only defense is to give them just barely enough resources to do their job, ... It's all about taxes ... there are but a handful of congresscritters who actually are for less government spending,

    Are you unhappy with taxes or with budget allocation? The first and third part above are about budget allocation, which, unfortunately, has very little to do with taxation. The middle part is about taxes, which, unfortunately, have very little to do with budget allocation.

    I favor reducing spending and increasing taxes. That is because I am a fiscal conservative and we are currently running a wildly excessive deficit. I believe in running a balanced budget except during exceptional economic downturns, in which a short-term deficit is fiscally prudent for the long-term outcome, and in times of plenty, when a short term surplus prepares our larder for the next downturn.

    Conflating reductions in spending with reductions in taxation is a premeditated psychological manipulation tactic. There are bad people out there who want to maximize their personal short-term outcome by cranking up the deficit and damn the consequences to the economy. Those people are not helpful to America. Do not fall victim to the false equivalence of taxation and spending.

  19. Re:So DON'T GIVE CHASE by Platinumrat · · Score: 4, Informative

    In Australia the doctrine is Police do not give chase, EVER! If the suspect's car starts speeding, they have strict protocols in place to back off, radio in the situation and follow from a safe distance

    Studies have shown that chasing only escalates the danger to property and the public. So the correct response, is to radio in for support and do everything to protect life and property. They can't really outrun a radio.

    There was a recent, going back a few years now, chase that took five days from when they first attempted to stop a car, to the actual capture. There were gaps, but police had photos, videos, registration plates and descriptions of the suspects. They knew it was only a matter of time before the suspects would be caught.

    And guess what, not a single shot was fired