Police Admit, Ferguson 'No Fly Zone' was to Keep Media Out

The police in St. Louis County admitted what most media already knew. 

When the cops instituted a no-fly zone over the Ferguson protests, it's sole purpose was to prevent news helicopters from covering the events.

At the time, the police department claimed the no-fly zone was necessary because shots had been fired at a police helicopter—and not, as Sgt. Brian Schellman told reporters at the time, because the police wanted the media to leave. "We understand that that's the perception that's out there, but it truly is for the safety of pilots," he told NBC. 

According to the AP, the tapes reveal St. Louis police officers worked with FAA air traffic controllers to tweak the flight restrictions to ground media aircraft while still allowing commercial flights and police helicopters to operate in the area.

Media outlets were reportedly told there was an outright ban, despite exceptions for "aircraft carrying properly accredited news representatives."

FAA administrator Michael Huerta denied the allegations, telling the AP, "FAA cannot and will never exclusively ban media from covering an event of national significance, and media was never banned from covering the ongoing events in Ferguson in this case."

So in other words, someone is lying or did lie.

Imagine that?

H/T Gawker