Newscopters Clash with Police

Plano, Texas Police threatened to close the airspace over future news events after helicopters from nearby television stations disrupted their attempts to end an armed, 12-hour standoff in March. Police said noise from orbiting television stations’ news helicopters hampered tactical officers’ ability to communicate with the suspect. They also charged that the television stations broadcast “sensitive” footage that further hindered their ability to end the standoff. Police said that they ordered the newscopters to leave the area. When they did not, a police spokesman retaliated by withholding information from reporters on the ground.