Father who shot down drone hovering over his house as his daughters sunbathed is arrested

Daily Mail ^ | 08/01/15

[Enlightened1]

A father has been arrested after shooting down an $1,800 drone that was reportedly hovering over his two sunbathing daughters.

William H. Merideth, 47, from Kentucky was charged with first-degree criminal mischief and first-degree wanton endangerment.

The owner of the drone claims he was only trying to take pictures of a friend's house when Merideth shot at the device, sending it crashing into a field near his yard last weekend.

Sunday afternoon, the kids – my girls – were out on the back deck, and the neighbors were out in their yard," Merideth told WDRD. 'And they come in and said, "Dad, there’s a drone out here, flying over everybody’s yard."

'I went and got my shotgun and I said, "I'm not going to do anything unless it's directly over my property,"' he added.

At that time, the drone was hovering over the house of a neighbor, Kim VanMater, who has a 16-year-old daughter who likes to lay out by the pool.

VanMeter said: '(The drone) was just hovering above our house and it stayed for a few moments and then my daughter finally waved and it took off.'

It then allegedly flew over the Merideths' garden.

Mr Merideth said: 'Within a minute or so, here it came. It was hovering over top of my property, and I shot it out of the sky. I didn't shoot across the road, I didn't shoot across my neighbor's fences, I shot directly into the air.'

Four men were about to confront him after the drone was shot out of the sky, but he says they soon changed their minds when they saw his firearms.

'I had my Glock on me and they started toward me and I told them, "If you cross my sidewalk, there's gonna be another shooting,"'

[Tau Food]

“Kill drones; not lions”

[Tau Food]

It was an $1,800 Drone. What does that tell you?

I don't care how cheap it is. If it invades my airspace, I will be inclined to take it down and put it in the trash.

[Altariel]

What happens when a flying object crashes into a tree, pole or other object, malfunctions or is grabbed or destroyed by an animal (wild or domestic) on private property? The operator cannot then retrieve it without engaging in trespassing.

If you don’t want your “toy” to be destroyed and be unable to retrieve it without trespassing, keep it on your land, or on public property. Your neighbors don’t want to be bothered by your drones or the government’s drones.

[DugwayDuke]

“If you don’t want your “toy” to be destroyed and be unable to retrieve it without trespassing, keep it on your land, or on public property. Your neighbors don’t want to be bothered by your drones or the government’s drones.”

You property does not include the airspace above. The law is on the side of the drone operator.

[Responsibility2nd]

Happy conclusion.....

 

Kentucky Man Had Right to Shoot Down Drone, Judge Rules
webpronews ^ | October 28, 2015

Posted on Thursday, October 29, 2015 8:53:40 AM by Gamecock

[Responsibility2nd]

See post 145.

[Ol' Dan Tucker]

Thanks for the head’s up.

[LittleBillyInfidel]

Thanks, R-2nd. Three weeks ago, I gave a drone seminar to my county’s Sheriff’s department in their Special Operations Dept. Not one of them knew the property airspace laws as per aircraft. If that dork was flying his drone that low (treeline) over private property, he deserved to lose it.