8-21-19 dodge county sheriff concerned with television helicopters interfering in search for fugitive

The Dodge County Sheriff is expressing  frustration over television helicopters interfering with the search for a fugitive  in a marsh last week.  Sheriff Dale Schmidt says a state patrol aircraft had  to back off because of unsafe flight conditions due to television helicopters that were also in the area.  “The state patrol airplane attempted radio contact with them,  ( tv helicopters) we asked the FAA to make contact with them to see if they could move back but they weren’t able to get any response from them.  I made contact with the TV stations to let them know.  It took a while and eventually they did back off but it was too late,”  Schmidt told WFDL news.  He says the state patrol plane had already left.  Schmidt says he could have issued a temporary flight restriction for the area, but that would have impacted the Department’s Internet-controlled drones that were also being used in the search for the suspect.  “It creates a problem for us and something I’ve spoken with legislators about to see what can we do rectify that.”    In the end, the search was called off.    Later that night the Sheriff’s Office received a call that the suspect, 35 year old Richard Erdmann, was enjoying a cold beverage at an area establishment after spending the day in the marsh.  “I don’t think he had any idea we were coming and we certainly had plenty of resources there to make sure that it didn’t happen again,”  Schmidt said.   Erdmann was arrested and transported to the Fond du Lac County Jail.

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