Drone Flies Over Fenway Park During Red Sox Game
BOSTON (CBS) - A drone flew over Fenway Park during the Red Sox-Blue Jays game Thursday night - and no one knows who's responsible.
Boston Police said it was first spotted around 9:30 p.m. and it took off around 10:20 p.m. Officers and the Federal Aviation Administration are looking into the incident.
"There is an active investigation with the F.A.A. and the B.P.D. That's all I can tell you at this time but as soon as we get something, we'll definitely let you know because we want to send a clear cut message to everyone that there is no authorized flying of drones or any major event at all," Boston Police Commissioner William Gross told reporters Friday. "If that investigation leads to someone being brought to justice, you will definitely know because we need to send that message."
"Flying drones in and around stadiums is prohibited starting one hour before and ending one hour after a scheduled game and prohibited within a radius of three nautical miles of the stadium," the FAA said in a statement to WBZ-TV.
Flying a drone over a stadium could result in criminal fines up to $250,000 and up to three years in prison, according to the FAA.
Twitter erupted with fans at Fenway wondering about the mysterious drone, which was captured on video by several people.
"It would kind of drop fast then go back up then drop and spin," said Chris O'Brien, who shot one of those videos. "It was getting really low and close to the players."
O'Brien said he first spotted the drone around the fourth inning.
"I think it was the seventh or eighth it came back that's when it was sort of getting bold," he told WBZ. "At one point it was getting really low and I was wondering are they going to pause the game and whatever, but they never did."
"If someone had wanted to do damage with that drone they probably could have and that's a concerning thought," he said.
The Red Sox said the drone was unauthorized.
"During the late innings of tonight's game, a drone was flown above the ballpark by an unidentified individual. The operation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) around large stadium events is in violation of FAA regulations and the club has reported the incident to the Boston Police Department for investigation," the Red Sox said in a statement.
Adam Lisberg, a spokesman for drone manufacturer DJI Technology, told WBZ the drone is one of theirs and it was a "really dumb thing for someone to do."
"We are trying to learn more about what happened, and stand ready to work with Boston Police and other security agencies to investigate what happened," he said.
"Whoever flew this drone over the stadium apparently overrode our geofencing system and deliberately violated the FAA temporary flight restriction in place over the game. DJI's AeroScope system can remotely identify and monitor airborne DJI drones in areas where it has been installed, and this incident shows why the federal government must mandate a remote identification system for airborne drones as soon as possible."
