Kentucky man shoots down drone and gets arrested

[senseamp]

Good arrest.

 

[Newell Steamer]

 

[CitizenKain]

I hope they return the favor and put a few bullets into this stuff. Maybe that redneck will learn.

 

[woolfe9998]

Funny, I was just talking to a friend last night who was telling me drones were his new hobby. He said was flying all around his neighborhood, over neighbors' back yards and so forth. I told him he'd better clear that with the neighbors or someone will be pissed. I should e-mail him this article.

If I'm not mistaken, people own the airspace over their homes up to a ceiling that is the floor for aircraft navigable airspace. I think that means we own at least 80' of air above our homes. I suppose it could be a defense if the drone was actually trespassing in his airspace that he was entitled to shoot it down. Even if he wasn't entitled to shoot it, it should be a trespass meaning the drone owner should have been cited as well.

 

[geekforaweek]

TLDR:

it is past time to create standards around what is acceptable use for these devices.

I hope the charges are ultimately dismissed.

I totally agree with you.
We must be proud of the scientists who create such techs, but being proud mustn't be connected with being scared for your involvement in the process. I can't see the reason for drones to fly in the peaceful neighborhood!

 

[soundforbjt]

I thought he shot it down...:biggrin:

 

[waggy]

I have no issue with what he did. it was hovering over his deck. seems like a clear cut case of privacy invasion to me.

 

[nickqt]

Assuming it wasn't just passing over briefly at a decent altitude, but was just hovering within a short distance, I say shoot that thing down.

Drone = Flying Camera.

 

[werepossum]

Funny, I was just talking to a friend last night who was telling me drones were his new hobby. He said was flying all around his neighborhood, over neighbors' back yards and so forth. I told him he'd better clear that with the neighbors or someone will be pissed. I should e-mail him this article.

If I'm not mistaken, people own the airspace over their homes up to a ceiling that is the floor for aircraft navigable airspace. I think that means we own at least 80' of air above our homes. I suppose it could be a defense if the drone was actually trespassing in his airspace that he was entitled to shoot it down. Even if he wasn't entitled to shoot it, it should be a trespass meaning the drone owner should have been cited as well.

They look pretty cool, especially racing them through woods. Although I'm not paying $1,800 for anything that can't haul my fat ass to the Taco Bell.

 

[davmat787]

Sure no problem.

For example while I was flying last weekend at the park behind my house (without my GoPro attached) I had to land because I got buzzed by an Apache from Ellington Airforce base. He circled me for 2 minutes about 100-200 feet up.

He probably saw my drone and either wanted a picture or likely a little target practice.

But no problem for him to hover a house taking pictures. No ones gonna shoot at him either.

And when these hobbyist drones have a 30MM cannon with helmet mounted aiming I would give them as much deference as you did to the AH-64! :;



Until then when someone flies their drone in airspace below shared and above someone's property, it's caveat emptor time.

Now if there's one thing you can be sure of, it's that nothing is more powerful than a young boy's wish. Except an Apache helicopter. An Apache helicopter has machine guns AND missiles. It is an unbelievably impressive complement of weaponry, an absolute death machine.

The movie Ted, intro

 

[davmat787]

As for interesting uses of consumer class drones, here is a video from a drone watching artillery fire. I would assume it's being used to direct fire and damage assessment. Those guys in the tank wished they had closed their hatches if they left them open, although they might be okay either way. The concussive and pressure effects can be deadly just like shrapnel.



I find the use of consumer class drones in Ukraine and Iraq/Syria to be very interesting in how they effect modern warfare.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qjq044frno

 

[stlc8tr]

The guy claims his drone was 200 ft above the ground when it was shot down.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...ests-shot-down-drone-was-higher-than-alleged/

The pilot of the drone shot down Sunday evening over a Kentucky property has now come forward with video provided to Ars, seemingly showing that the drone wasn’t nearly as close as the property owner made it out to be. However, the federal legal standard for how far into the air a person’s private property extends remains in dispute. According to the telemetry provided by David Boggs, the drone pilot, his aircraft was only in flight for barely two minutes before it was shot down. The data also shows that it was well over 200 feet above the ground before the fatal shots fired by William Merideth.

 

[senseamp]

Looks like the redneck didn't even shoot it over his own property. Sounds like he should get some PMITA prison time.

 

[Darwin333]

The problem with shooting drones out of the sky is that bullets come down eventually because of that gravity thing. Granted he might have used some birdshot or something but in general shooting a gun into the air is bad and potentially deadly.

I've got no problem with him disabling or even destroying the drone if it was on his property but you shouldn't put the public at risk in doing so.

On another note, quads can be rather difficult to fly. My daughter and I were flying a little one I got her from Amazon and accidentally went into two different neighbors backyards. Basically we got it too high and then it drifted or we pushed the stick the wrong way or whatever and we'd lose site of it and throttle down. None of my neighbors got pissy about it, if it had FPV and he was hovering for a while then maybe a potato cannon is a better weapon of choice.

 

[Darwin333]

I have to side with Mr Merideth on this one.



He even put a lot more thought into it than the idiots flying the drone did. You're invading someone's privacy with that thing.

Good to see that he put the thought into it before firing a gun into the air. It's still a little tricky as far as the law is concerned but after reading that the judge should definitely dismiss the charges.

I wonder if there is anything that they can charge the drone pilot with?

 

[Paratus]

The guy claims his drone was 200 ft above the ground when it was shot down.

http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...ests-shot-down-drone-was-higher-than-alleged/

If this new information is correct I'll change my mind about the shooter. If the drone was 200ft up then the home owner is definitely in the wrong.

It's still stupid to shoot at a drone but at least it's understandable if it's hovering at one of your windows. 200ft above the house not so much.

I guess will need to see how this plays out.

 

[TheVrolok]

I have no problem with the actions of the homeowner.

 

[highland145]

Ruger 1000fps pellet rifle would have made this a lot more fun. And he could have walked away.

Hey, Mike, your better half isn't going to let you go to taco bell.

Just sayin'.

 

[Darwin333]

If this new information is correct I'll change my mind about the shooter. If the drone was 200ft up then the home owner is definitely in the wrong.

It's still stupid to shoot at a drone but at least it's understandable if it's hovering at one of your windows. 200ft above the house not so much.

I guess will need to see how this plays out.

Agreed. 200 feet combined with only being in the air for 2 minutes..... I dunno, kinda hard to "spy" on someone with a gopro from 200' and the guy barely had a chance to even start whatever flight plan he had.

Edit: Watching the video, the drone was only over the guys property (again at 200+ feet above ground) for a few seconds and it appears that it had already passed his property at the time it was shot down. The telemetry looks legit and if found to be so the homeowner should be forced to pay for the drone and I don't think he is going to get off on the charges.

 

[highland145]

pics of his teen age daughters...

 

[Darwin333]

Ruger 1000fps pellet rifle would have made this a lot more fun. And he could have walked away.

If the telemetry is legit, and it appears to be so, he had no cause to shoot at it with anything.

 

[highland145]

If the telemetry is legit, and it appears to be so, he had no cause to shoot at it with anything.

Not denying. Just saying he could have had denial....except for the 12 ga.:\


Otherwise, if it's flying in my backyard, open season.

 

[runzwithsizorz]

What's with all these paranoid people? Unless I drive to a field, or park somewhere, I just fly around my neighborhood, and I'm always over someone else's property. Mind you, I said over, at no less than 100 feet. I would never drop into someones back yard, that's just plain wrong, and kinda creepy, and I would expect complaints or worse. In my area there is hardly any lot larger than 1/4 acre. Trust me, you got nothin I need pictures of, (I doubt this mans daughter was by the pool naked). A GoPro will take a fairly decent picture at 20 feet or LESS, but they are really designed for fish eye panoramic views. At 150 feet plus there really isn't much in the way of *details*. :whiste:
If I really wanted a live action perve fix, I could simply drive to the beach, and sit on the boardwalk, plenty of girls able, and*willing*to put on a show:biggrin:
Soooo, put down the shotgun, and walk away.
"spying on you?" srsly?

 

[runzwithsizorz]

Looks like the redneck didn't even shoot it over his own property. Sounds like he should get some PMITA prison time.

Probably not prison time, but if the felony conviction holds up, no more guns for him. If he were smart he should find a way to make his guns *disappear* now.

 

[Hugo Drax]

Autistic people and drones = bad news for everyone.