NYC Teacher Arrested for Flying Drone at the U.S. Open

As reported by the Wall Street Journal: A New York City public school teacher was arrested after he flew a drone into the stands at the U.S. Open on Friday, police said.

Daniel Varley, 26 years old, was charged with reckless endangerment after he crash-landed the device in the upper stands at Louis Armstrong Stadium of the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing just before 9 p.m., police said.

He was also charged with reckless operation of a drone and operating a drone in a New York City park outside of a prescribed area for doing so.

Mr. Varley had flown the device from a nearby park, where he was found a short time later, police said.

The drone incident happened during the second-to-last match of the night between Flavia Pennetta and Monica Niculescu.

“A little bit scary, I have to say,” Ms. Pennetta told the Associated Press, saying she initially thought it was a bomb.

Play briefly stopped while the device was inspected by police and fire personnel.

“The chair umpire just wanted to wait for an OK from the police to be able to continue, even if, truthfully, I don’t think even they knew what it was,” Ms. Pennetta told the AP.

Mr. Varley was released and issued a desk appearance ticket, police said. He could not be reached for comment.

No one was injured in the incident, officials said.