BEMIDJI (KFGO-AM) -- A drone provided by the Grand Forks County Sheriff's Department was used to help survey a home explosion scene near Bemidji.
Beltrami County Sheriff Phil Hodapp received authorization from the FAA to use the drone to take aerial photographs and video of the scene. The drone was flown by 2 UAS pilots from the University of North Dakota. All the photos and video were turned over to the Beltrami County Sheriff’s department as evidence.
The Grand Forks County Sheriff's Department was the first law enforcement agency in the nation granted federal permission to fly unmanned aircraft systems at night throughout its jurisdiction.