When a drone was spotted over the Ohio State-Maryland college football game Saturday, officials quickly suspended the nationally televised contest and pulled the players off the field.
The interruption was brief — the drone flew off, and police tracked down and arrested its pilot, who told them he lost control of his newly bought craft as it meandered over Ohio Stadium in Columbus. He faces multiple criminal charges, but police said they found no evidence of malicious intent.
Still, the incident — the latest in a string of drone incursions over stadiums — was closely watched by executives at the NFL, other major sports leagues and members of Congress. They say it underscored a huge security vulnerability — made worse by gaps in federal law — that they fear could result in a catastrophic loss of life.
“We’re concerned about somebody who would use (drones) in a nefarious way and drop a grenade that would do considerable damage and possibly kill individuals,” said Sen. Gary Peters, D-Mich., who chairs the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
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