The Ravens’ Thursday night game against the Jacksonville Jaguars hit an unexpected pause in the first quarter when officials spotted a drone near M&T Bank Stadium. This time, though, the aircraft wasn’t a threat.
Amazon Prime Video broadcasters Al Michaels and Kirk Herbstreit mentioned the stoppage during the game, which the Jaguars won 33-10. Play resumed quickly after the brief delay.
“The game was briefly paused when a drone was observed operating near the stadium,” Vernon Conaway Jr., the Maryland Stadium Authority’s head of security, said in a statement to The Banner. “The drone was quickly identified as an authorized drone supporting the television broadcast and determined not to pose a security threat.”
The Maryland Stadium Authority owns M&T Bank Stadium and Oriole Park at Camden Yards and leases both venues to Baltimore’s pro teams.
Drones have become a growing security concern at major events because they can be used in harmful ways, and even a hobbyist drone can fail and fall into a crowd. That risk has already shown up around Ravens games more than once. In recent years, home games have been stopped after security noticed drones near the stadium, which is against federal aviation rules.
Last year, a Baltimore man pleaded guilty to violating national defense airspace after flying a drone over the stadium during a Ravens playoff game. CBS News also reported a drone was spotted at last year’s Army-Navy game at M&T Bank Stadium, and last week’s Thursday night game was briefly delayed for the same reason.
The NFL has pushed Congress in recent years to give local law enforcement at major sporting events more power to take down unwanted drones.
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