As U.S. authorities grapple with how to regulate the use of unarmed drones in U.S. skies, a small network of police, first responders and experts is already flying unmanned aircraft.
These operators say rapidly evolving drone technology is already reshaping disaster response, crime scene reconstruction, crisis management and tactical operations. Critics of U.S. domestic drone use worry about privacy and safety.
Several dozen local police departments, federal agencies and universities have special FAA permits to fly drones in U.S. airspace.
"Like a lot of law enforcement agencies, our first thoughts were, 'Cool! Let's use it for tactical missions - for chasing bad guys across the county,'" said Ben Miller, a Mesa County, Colorado, sheriff's deputy.
"But the reality is you'll have a mission like that once or twice a year," he said. "The real utility of unmanned aerial systems is not the sexy stuff. It's the crime scene and accident reconstruction."
Republican Oklahoma state Senate candidate Barry Christian was found dead Thursday, the State Bureau of Investigation...
A mass shooting at a Texas apartment complex left two teens dead and 10 people injured,...
The sheriff of New Orleans was hit on Wednesday with a sweeping 30-count indictment alleging malfeasance...
