Posted on 08/01/2015 11:31:04 AM PDT by 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,"'
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
So if a peeping Tom is filming/taking pictures of your young daughters (2 little girls in this instance), wife or girlfriend...
You are going to be polite to the pervert about it?
Since you supposedly know your rights about flying drones...what are they??
I’ll send your drone back to you in an envelope. Flat letter kind.
Under the Common Law one owned from the center of the earth to the highest reaches. The Common Law was modified to allow airports and their flight paths. Depending on state law the space above his house and realty was his.
Nice drone blind. I prolly would have done the same except kept the camera.
The story doesn't say where the 'pilot' was located. If he was flying FPV, and from the story it sounds like he certainly was otherwise there's no way to know whether the "friend's house you're taking pictures of" is in the frame or not.
So, without knowing the pilot's location it's pretty difficult to ask them to fly over different property.
It doesn't really matter because the pilot isn't supposed to be flying drones over buildings, such as these folks' houses.
Four guys approaching his property...
“Oh pardon us. Never mind!”
LMAO
So you think, like a peeping Tom, you can start filming video tape/taking pictures of little girls sun bathing in their back yard of their own homes?
Exactly! I don’t know the truth behind the operator’s flight, but irresponsible use is going to ruin it for those of us who are responsible and respectful.
Below, but not above.
It crashed in his yard.
Good shooting, by the way.
It sorta reminds me of not throwing rice at a wedding, 'cause the birds will explode. (The only rice eating bird I ever saw explode was hit with a wad of #9 shot...)
Drone flight in populated areas is full of problems, given the property rights of limited altitude above one’s real property. Anyone flying a drone over my property would be met personally, one time. Thereafter, it’s open season.
Settle down, little Danny. I’m not addressing what that operator did because there are conflicting stories. Irrespectively, of what you think you know, you are only half right in your assertions of “rights”. The operator should not fly over people and the only building he is allowed to fly over is his client’s house below the height restrictions established by local laws.
Ad coleum doctrine: http://definitions.uslegal.com/a/ad-coelum-doctrine/
Here’s the deal: If you don’t fly your expensive toy over my property and hover long enough for me to get a bead, I won’t blow it out of the air, Tex.
Since you only used two question marks, I think I’ll pass on giving you the Drone Pilots’ Basic Flight Regs free lecture series seminar.
I confess that I’m in the middle of 32 acres of my own property. I’d have no problem doing it. But if I was in city limits in a neighborhood I’d want to establish that a) it is hovering over my property and low and, b) it is exhibiting evidence that it is being used to visually inspect my property or things on it.
If both were true, I’d have no qualms about shooting it down. But where I live it would be even less of a problem. It’s one of the reasons I moved here, not that I anticipated this particular issue, but I saw all sorts of privacy issues arising with the rapid advent of futuristic technology.
And it’s just getting started. Soon they won’t need to be over your property to see everything they need to. This is where the high power laser comes into play.
Is it true drones are good eating if you cook them right!
Calm down, Keyboard Commando. You sound like the type of person who learns stuff the hard way. Both sides need to learn the laws as it’s a two way street now. I’m with you 100% if some idiot breaks the law.
You’re getting some angry replies. Why do you think that is?
Oh dear lord... Sigh....OF COURSE, THAT IS WRONG, ethically and legally. So, conversely, if I’m to use YOUR logic and presumption then I guess you’re OK with firing guns where it’s prohibited by city ordinance.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.