Secret Service Arrests Man After Drone Flies Near White House

[Bosonic]

Source: New York Times

WASHINGTON — The Secret Service arrested a man who was flying a small drone less than a block from the White House on Thursday afternoon, law enforcement officials said.

About 1 p.m., Secret Service uniformed officers saw a drone flying roughly 100 feet above Lafayette Park, across the street from the White House, the authorities said.

The man complied with officers’ commands to land the drone and he was arrested, they said. The officers then cordoned off the area in Lafayette Park in order to determine whether there were any explosives or anything else potentially harmful on the drone. They concluded that it was safe, the authorities said.

The Secret Service did not identify the man, but said he had been turned over to the United States Park Police, which has jurisdiction over the park. It is illegal to fly a drone in Washington.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/15/us/white-house-drone-secret-service.html

[Plucketeer]

1. Ignorance triumphs again. nt

[Geronimoe]

2. Follow this link

This is one of those little toy drone you can get for less tham $20 online. Probably isn't design to have the payload of a flee.

If the operator was a black male teen, he would likely be dead or hung from a tree.

[William Seger]

5. It's a Parrot Bebop, about $500, and it does carry a camera (n/t)

[erronis]

3. Are we sure they weren't just on another bender?

You know - the type where you see things flying around your head.

Lots of ex-cops, blackwater types really want a cushy job protecting the prez. It can be a bit troublesome when you can't tell the man from the enemy, however.

[William Seger]

4. Jeez, it's illegal to fly a drone within 15 miles of National Airport?

That's as far west as Fairfax and south almost to Woodbridge. That makes one more reason I'm glad I don't live in Northern Virginia anymore.