Drone outside apartment window prompts call to Seattle police
Jun 23, 2014, 4:06 PM | Updated: 4:55 pm
Seattle police were called to a downtown apartment Sunday after a woman spotted an unmanned aircraft or drone hovering outside her window. (AP file)
(AP file)
It might be creepy, but it was perfectly legal when some guys flew a drone outside a woman’s Seattle apartment window this weekend, prompting a call to police.
The Seattle Police Department reports the woman got worried after spotting the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle outside her apartment window near Terry Ave. and Stewart St. early Sunday morning.
The woman was concerned the drone was looking into her apartment and called and reported the incident to her building concierge, who immediately called police.
The concierge went outside the building and spotted two men piloting the drone. The men were also carrying a tripod and video camera. Soon after, they packed up their gear and drove away.
Seattle Police officer Patrick Michaud says the drone flyers were not breaking any laws because it is legal to take photographs and video from any public place, and the FAA has not issued specific rules for recreational drone flying.
A federal judge ruled earlier this year the remote-controlled aircraft are legal because the FAA has not issued any rules governing model aircraft photography.
The FAA is working with law enforcement to further clarify rules for unmanned aircraft systems, the agency said in a news release Monday.
