Posted on 10/29/2015 6:53:40 AM PDT by Gamecock
Back in July, a Hillview, Kentucky man shot down a drone that was flying over his property. He was arrested and charged with criminal mischief and wanton endangerment for destroying the $1,800 unmanned aerial vehicle.
Now, a judge has cleared him of all charges.
William Meridith, 47, said his right to privacy made it ok to shoot down his neighbor's drone. The owner of the drone said he was simply flying it to get aerial images of another neighbor's house.
Meredith told WDRB about the incident:
"Sunday afternoon, the kids-my girls-were out on the back deck, and the neighbors were out in their yard,†Merideth said. "And they come in and said, 'Dad, there's a drone out here, flying over everybody's yard.' Well, I came out and it was down by the neighbor's house, about 10 feet off the ground, looking under their canopy that they've got in their back yard. I went and got my shotgun and I said, 'I'm not going to do anything unless it's directly over my property.'"
Earlier this week, Bullitt County District Court Judge Rebecca Ward ruled that since witnesses testified the drone was flying "below the tree line", Meredith has a right to shoot it down.
"He had a right to shoot at this drone, and I’m gonna dismiss this charge," said Ward.
The drone pilot, David Boggs, provided video evidence to Ars Technica that his drone was actually flying over 200 feet above the ground.
The neighbors sound like a-holes; glad he had his Glock with him.
don’t we all wish we could do that at least once?
This is the correct decision. No arrest, no trial. The cops and DA acted stupidly.
Yep, I remember that show, saw several episodes. Sometimes there’s just no reason to reinvent the wheel and the simple tried and true solutions are best and always will be...............and that is something that is lost on most libs IMO.
What is needed in the whole of case law, is the determination of how much above your property, belongs to you. Due to public and commercial aviation there has to be a limit.
4 men advancing on one, and he warns them not to stray onto his property?
I’m not sure why that would be considered illegal.
The Dipstick neighbor needs to let it go. He had the “Creeper” look to him.
“4 men advancing on one, and he warns them not to stray onto his property?
I’m not sure why that would be considered illegal.”
It isn’t/wasn’t.
“This is the correct decision. No arrest, no trial. The cops and DA acted stupidly.”
I’m no lawyer but I’m not so sure the police shouldn’t be looking at the drone operator for trespassing/voyeurism type charges.
66 yards is pushing it, but not impossible. It would require a heavy hunting load and a full choke. Barrel length does not really affect range—that is an old wives tale, it’s about buffering the shot, hardening the shot so it does not deform and flies true, and proper constriction with a choke to tighten the pattern. A heavy shot load and a heavy powder charge, say in a 3” or even a 3 1/2” 12 gauge, full choke or even a super full (like used in turkey hunting) , yea, it can be done.
And I'm sure David provided *all* the video he took that day, right? That his drone and camera were always at least 200 feet AGL. Or is it more likely the "evidence" provided by David was carefully edited?
If the neighborhood kids are playing with a new drone and it strays over my property once or twice...that's not a problem. I'll probably go ask them for a turn at the controls. ;-) If they become a nuisance with it they're going to get a talking to about respecting others. If it is some creep with a camera perving into backyards and windows etc. I *will* bring it down and ensure it is destroyed. As the guy said, if the pilot then sets foot on my property with hostile intent, there's going to be another shooting.
The FAA lists minimum safe altitude for piloted aircraft over populated/congested areas as 1000 ft AGL. Seems to me drone pilots ought to respect that too. If you're going to play CIA and operate drones then do it in a clear area well away from houses and businesses. The buzz is annoying and the potential for invasion of privacy is too great. A kid's toy in/over the yard is one thing, a serious drone is another. Not sure where the dividing line is, maybe based on size/weight (ie. noise) and ability to carry a camera.
I didn't shoot across the road, I didn't shoot across my neighbor's fences, I shot directly into the air.
Sets a precedent and it's a further affirmation of property rights.
I've said it before...I'll shoot down any drone I see over my property.
If it is right on the very perimeter, I'll give the benefit of a doubt...mistakes can be made.
But if it flies above my home or my head, and I can see it plainly for what it is, it's going down.
Whether I'm close to my house or working around my shop or outbuildings, I'm never far from my 1100, 3 inch mag, loaded with #4 Turkey Shot, extra full turkey choke.
I think it will bring down one of those at 60 yards.
I have a drone...I know how vulnerable they are.
They are actually pretty damned delicate, even with stabilizers and all the other stuff on them.
Mine is a 6-rotor, but that's just for stability and ease of flying...I highly doubt it will fly with two out, and a load of #4 at 60 yards will most definitely take at least two of them out.
Working form memory, they did at the time of the incident, and the shooter was arrested (for shotgun discharge, not for destruction of property) but not the pilot. Judge has undone the arrest and charge against the shooter. The shot was justified.
Merideth (the shooter) was looking into bringing a legal action of his own. Trespass and privacy violations don't depend on police arrest and/or DA agreement to press charges. Any person can sue for damages on those claims.
A competent judge!
He will now face the wrath of the Traitorobama regime and the fifth-column media skanks.
I am thinking of the spread patter at 66 yards- seems awful far for me
I have never seen a clay pigeon break at that distance
I am NOT an expert, once again
My point is that the drone owner says he was 200 ft above ground, the property owner says he was below the tree line- one of them is lying, and I think it is the drone owner.
200 ft away ESPECIALLY straight up seems unlikely to take out a drone with buckshot- at that distance the spread pattern is very wide
Birdshot
It wasn’t too far away.
Well, I came out and it was down by the neighbor's house, about 10 feet off the ground, looking under their canopy that they've got in their back yard.
Drone operator is a peeping Tom pervert whom intends harm of some kind.
The judge should have also ordered a search of peeping Tom's home and electronics.
More like malicious prosecution.
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.