Our Chopper 4 photographer, Brad Freitas, passed away this week.
We called him Chopper Brad, and he was part of our First 4 Traffic coverage for many years.
In fact, for eight years, whenever we needed to cover news from the sky, Brad couldn’t wait to get in the air.
We relied on him when there was hard news like the insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, and devastating weather events.
He had an eagle eye.
It was Chopper Brad who got the shot that showed the Commanders name inside FedEx Field the night before the new moniker was announced to the world.
Brad celebrated from the sky when our sports teams won, taking a rare flight over D.C. to celebrate the Capitals championship in 2018. Just last month, he led our emotional goodbye to the pandas as they cruised to Dulles International Airport on Interstate 66.
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Through all of it, Brad’s personality and excitement for his job were always on full display.
We got to see that off the air, too, as a family man.
He leaves behind a wife and daughter.
We send our love to them, as well as Brad’s parents and siblings.
Brad Freitas was only 42 years old, and we will miss him dearly.
His family plans to host a private memorial service and welcomes remembrance donations in Brad's name to your local animal shelter.
