While they (LAPD, LA District Attorney's Office, etc) haven't released the video to the public...yet...it was stated that video recorded by the drone clearly showed the drone heading directly for the helicopter. Now, if the drone was headed in the same direction as the helicopter, logic tells you there's no way the drone could have caught up with the helicopter. Speed-wise, the only way the drone could have caught up with the helicopter is of the two "vehicles" were headed towards, or at least somewhat towards, each other. If the drone was, at any point, in the area between the helicopter, and where the helicopter was heading (which includes the helicopter in a circling search pattern), then, yes, that would be legally considered "interference".
There have been far too many people flying drones recently...especially here in California...who have interfered with law enforcement & safety (fire, rescue, etc), and it's about time they start paying the consequence. I also ride motorcycles, and I'm a safe rider, but there's a saying I've said for years - "It's the few who give they many a bad name." In other words, it's the idiots out there, flying their drones where they shouldn't be (and in several cases, where it's illegal to do so), that are giving ALL of us...including those of us who always follow the "no fly zone" rules/laws...a bad name, this the very cause of legislation being introduced against the users of drones.
