Los Angeles police took a man's drone Thursday night after he flew it during a "perimeter operation" in Hollywood and almost collided with an LAPD helicopter, police said.
The man was operating the drone near the intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Gower Street while a Los Angeles police helicopter was flying in the area, LAPD Lt. Mike Ling said.
The police chopper "had to take evasive action to avoid a collision," Ling said.
Police detained the man near a drugstore for "interfering with an aircraft," police said.
"They place the aircrews in danger. They place the lives of the general public in danger," LAPD Capt. Alfonso Lopez said of drones flying in the same airspace as police helicopters.
Officers took the man's drone, but they did not arrest him, officials said.
"We want to share that air space, but we want to share it safely," Lopez said.
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Police said they would send the information to the LA District Attorney's Office to see if any criminal charges will be filed.
There is no training required for anyone to operate a drone. Mike Rivard, who owns commercial drone company Rad Flight, advocates education over regulation, but the calls for regulation are increasing.
"My concern is that it's a knee-jerk reaction that will cripple at least temporarily any progress we've made in drone industry," Rivard said.
It was not immediately clear whether the man intended to fly the drone near the helicopter.
