FAA extends flight ban over Ferguson

The Federal Aviation Administration extended for another week a ban on low-flying aircraft over Ferguson, Mo., the site of protests and clashes with police following the police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown. 

The notice Monday replaced another that expired the same day, which had been in place since last week. The ban restricts aircraft from flying below 3,000 feet and expires Monday. 

{mosads}Only “relief aircraft operations under direction of the state” are authorized. 

The FAA put the ban in place at the request of Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) “to provide a safe environment for law enforcement,” according to The Washington Post. 

The St. Louis suburb has been roiled by protests since the shooting on Aug. 9. State Highway Patrol officers were brought in on Thursday to lead security, after local law enforcement was criticized for using excessive force. 

Nixon brought in the National Guard on Monday morning to help protect the law enforcement operation center there as well.

Last week, the FAA defended its restriction. Reports of shots fired at police helicopters preceded the agency’s notice. However, some critics noted that the ban prevented news helicopters from covering the protests.