Cops Say KING Chopper Impeded Investigation in Slain Police
Some news folks at KING Seattle may be in hot water after a local Washington State sheriff’s department said the Belo station interfered with its investigation of the four police officers who were shot dead in Lakewood, Washington.
The Pierce County Sheriff’s Department intends to forward reports to prosecutors after officials said a Seattle television station’s helicopter interfered with the investigation of the slain police officers.
“We’re trying to run operations,” sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said. “All it did was delay things.”
Troyer said a KING 5 helicopter was hovering over the crime scene Sunday morning, making it hard for investigators to talk to each other.
Officials called the television station and told it to back off. KING reportedly said they didn’t have to. The helicopter eventually left but returned awhile later. Investigators again told the station it was interfering.
KING officials reported that the Air Force told them the air space was not closed. The helicopter came back a third time and then left. Each time, Troyer said, investigators asked the station to move.
News director Mark Ginther said KING 5 was flying within the Federal Aviation Administration guidelines. He talked with Troyer twice, and both times the helicopter left the area.
HoBo commented:
KING did a great job of covering the event!