Despite a flight restriction, several drones flew over the Seahawks Super Bowl victory parade through downtown Seattle last week, officials say, and one pilot could face criminal charges.
“Ground intercept teams” from federal and local law enforcement agencies contacted seven drone pilots in person and on the phone and told them to ground their mini-aircrafts, said King County sheriff’s office spokesperson Brandyn Hull. The sheriff’s office’s Guardian 1 helicopter was also in the air “keeping an eye on things.”
Seattle police also had reminded fans that the Federal Aviation Administration set a temporary flight restriction during the parade and urged drone owners not to fly the devices over the crowds (some media outlets such as KOMO News said they got a waiver from the FAA to fly a drone).
One pilot, however, kept flying, Hull said. He flew his drone in Lumen Field where the Seahawks trophy celebration took place before the parade began.
The pilot could face charges of reckless endangerment, Hull said,
The cases were referred by police investigators to federal authorities regarding the federally controlled airspace. One case was referred by police investigators to the King County prosecutor’s office for charging decisions, said the office's spokesperson, Casey McNerthney.
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