Man shotgun blasts drone spying on his daughters from his back yard. Good for him.

[rdean]

The discharge of a fire arm is the issue.

Destruction of private property? To me no different than pruning the branches of a neighbors tree that grew onto my yard.

We just need a solution to drones that don't require shotgun pellets flying- but yes- I approve of this dad's actions(assuming that firing the shotgun was otherwise safe in the area.)

The shotgun was entirely appropriate.

It was the correct response to the assault on his minor daughters.

And I definitely see it as an assault.

 

[ABikerSailor]

You know..............I side with the dad on this one, because he should be able to expect privacy in his own back yard, and when it was violated by the idiot with a drone, he had every right to get rid of it as best he could.

That being said, I don't think he should have used a shotgun. A pellet gun or slingshot would have been a lot less dangerous, and he wouldn't have been visited by the cops, because there ARE laws about firing a weapon in city limits.

However..................because of the peeping tom aspect of this, I think that the father should be let off with a warning.

 

[toxicmedia]

Just watched it on the news. A man's two teenage daughters were bikini sun bathing in the privacy of their own home. A camera drone comes down and hovers over the two young girls. They call their father. He sees the drone hovering and goes back inside and gets his shotgun.

BAM!

Drone lands in separate pieces. Four men show up and the guy tells them he will defend his property.
They leave and the police show up and arrest the guy and he is charged with destruction of property and weapons discharge.

First, if it had been a black guy, we know what would have happened. But it wasn't.

So whose side are you on?

Me personally? Four grown men show up after watching my two daughters without consent? Lucky they weren't shot as far as I'm concerned.

What do you think?

The drone cost $1,800.00

Does that matter?

It's gotta be legal to discharge your weapon, so this more of a gun rights/gun safety issue.

Maybe he should have first tried a baseball bat, if it was flying low enough.

If not, I would have shot it, then got rid of it quick, before the cops got there, and say "I dunno" when the cops get there

 

[there4eyeM]

'Gun rights' need to be reserved for people who also have 'intelligence rights'.

 

[MikeK]

"Airspace" is not owned by the property owner.

I am very tempted to approve what Dad did, anyway.

I recall reading a complaint made about a helicopter hovering annoyingly close over some woman's back yard when she sunbathed nude. It turned out the helicopter was registered to DEA -- probably diverted from looking for illegal mjarijuana grows.

I would applaud someone who shot those bastards down.

 

[MikeK]

And the other side of the story

UPDATE Drone owner disputes shooter s story produces video he - WDRB 41 Louisville News

Hopefully it will lead to some regulations.

Are you aware there have actually been near-misses with aircraft from idiots flying the things????

Regulations are on the way. They are being drafted now. As soon as they are posted the violations either will cease or be reduced to a minimum.

I'm a drone hobbyist and the vast majority of serious drone hobbyists will readily comply with restrictions. The problem now is there are no restrictions so no one is aware they might be causing a hazard. By "serious" hobbyist I mean those flying drones which are capable of distance and heights far beyond those of the toy variety.

 

[airplanemechanic]

indeed

however the FAA sets the rules of flight separation from building and persons live stock too

the drone pilots broke several flight rules it appears from photographic evidence

There are no flight rules for a drone. It's a toy. The FAA doesn't regulate toys any more than saying stay out of the flight paths of full scale airplanes, stay below 400 feet. It's totally legal to fly one of these things over a neighborhood. It's NOT legal to shoot it out of the sky. Considering its almost 2000 dollars, that's no different than someone getting mad they hear you riding your noisy dirt bike and go and set it on fire and destroy it. I've been flying model airplanes for almost 20 years, and nobody ever talked about those things. They're capable of flying higher and faster than even the fastest and largest drones, but nobody seems to care. Why? Because people who fly RC planes are responsible people for the most part. We fly at sanctioned fields in areas designated as such. We also need a runway to take off and land. A drone can take off from a back yard or even from the bed of a truck. And they are WAY easier the fly than an RC plane.

Put him in jail, there he'll have the time to read the rules on appropriate reactions to non-violent and non-threatening instances like this. You do NOT have a right to privacy in your back yard from the air. Proof? Download google earth and put your address in. Satellites take pictures of your yard from the air all the time, and the newest ones I can zoom down and identify the make and model of car in your driveway. Want more proof? Check out google street view. You can see the color of someone's clothes in your driveway with that camera atop that car riding around. It is 10 feet in the air, it can easily see right over a 6 foot fence into a back yard.

From wiki:

what is observed pursuant to aerial surveillance that is conducted in public navigable airspace not using equipment that unreasonably enhances the surveying government official’s vision

A drone, in public navigable airspace above your property, is not enhancing the gov't's vision. Meaning, its legal.

I'm a pilot, I've seen many girls sunbathing. Can't stop me, the sky belongs to everyone. Now I can't see much detail at 1000ft doing 120mph, but I can see. I can also snap aerial photos if I so choose, can't stop me. I don't have the desire nor the money to do so, but I know who people who do. Its no different than if you live near the end of a runway. Departing airplanes will be able to see your daughter sunbathing. If you don't want people to see, tell her to go put some clothes on.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Yanno......................"toy" drones start out at about 30 bucks.

You can get the bigger ones (the ones that come with a Go-Pro) for right at 1,000 dollars.

And yeah.............if you flew above my back yard with one of those things, I'd blast it out of the sky with whatever I had to fire at it with.

 

[Andylusion]

Just watched it on the news. A man's two teenage daughters were bikini sun bathing in the privacy of their own home. A camera drone comes down and hovers over the two young girls. They call their father. He sees the drone hovering and goes back inside and gets his shotgun.

BAM!

Drone lands in separate pieces. Four men show up and the guy tells them he will defend his property.
They leave and the police show up and arrest the guy and he is charged with destruction of property and weapons discharge.

First, if it had been a black guy, we know what would have happened. But it wasn't.

So whose side are you on?

Me personally? Four grown men show up after watching my two daughters without consent? Lucky they weren't shot as far as I'm concerned.

What do you think?

The drone cost $1,800.00

Does that matter?

Unfortunately, you can't shoot almost anything, inside the city limits.

If the guy had been black, nothing would have happened any differently... .unless the black guy had attacked him. Then yes, he would have been shot, and rightfully so.

As for the drone. If the drone was over his property... I don't know how he can get in trouble for that.

If I drive my car onto your front lawn, and you key it... you get in trouble for me driving onto your front lawn? There has to be some catch, or that's a bad law.

That said, if I have a security camera installed behind my home, and the girl behind me is sun bathing in her back yard.... That's your fault for running around half naked out side.

If the women are concerned about people filming them... then cover up. I swear... sometimes the low level of common sense, baffles me.

 

[JakeStarkey]

The new regulations on drones should be out before Christmas.

Since they are federal regs, the do's and don'ts will be interesting.

 

[jon_berzerk]

indeed

however the FAA sets the rules of flight separation from building and persons live stock too

the drone pilots broke several flight rules it appears from photographic evidence

There are no flight rules for a drone. It's a toy. The FAA doesn't regulate toys any more than saying stay out of the flight paths of full scale airplanes, stay below 400 feet. It's totally legal to fly one of these things over a neighborhood. It's NOT legal to shoot it out of the sky. Considering its almost 2000 dollars, that's no different than someone getting mad they hear you riding your noisy dirt bike and go and set it on fire and destroy it. I've been flying model airplanes for almost 20 years, and nobody ever talked about those things. They're capable of flying higher and faster than even the fastest and largest drones, but nobody seems to care. Why? Because people who fly RC planes are responsible people for the most part. We fly at sanctioned fields in areas designated as such. We also need a runway to take off and land. A drone can take off from a back yard or even from the bed of a truck. And they are WAY easier the fly than an RC plane.

Put him in jail, there he'll have the time to read the rules on appropriate reactions to non-violent and non-threatening instances like this. You do NOT have a right to privacy in your back yard from the air. Proof? Download google earth and put your address in. Satellites take pictures of your yard from the air all the time, and the newest ones I can zoom down and identify the make and model of car in your driveway. Want more proof? Check out google street view. You can see the color of someone's clothes in your driveway with that camera atop that car riding around. It is 10 feet in the air, it can easily see right over a 6 foot fence into a back yard.

From wiki:

what is observed pursuant to aerial surveillance that is conducted in public navigable airspace not using equipment that unreasonably enhances the surveying government official’s vision

A drone, in public navigable airspace above your property, is not enhancing the gov't's vision. Meaning, its legal.

I'm a pilot, I've seen many girls sunbathing. Can't stop me, the sky belongs to everyone. Now I can't see much detail at 1000ft doing 120mph, but I can see. I can also snap aerial photos if I so choose, can't stop me. I don't have the desire nor the money to do so, but I know who people who do. Its no different than if you live near the end of a runway. Departing airplanes will be able to see your daughter sunbathing. If you don't want people to see, tell her to go put some clothes on.

There are no flight rules for a drone. It's a toy.

really do you consider the drones that shoot hellfire missiles a "toy" --LOL

in the USA all aircraft fall into three categories
public
civil
model

even if it is a "toy" there are flight rules

https://www.faa.gov/uas/media/Sec_331_336_UAS.pdf

 

[MikeK]

There are no flight rules for a drone. It's a toy.

really do you consider the drones that shoot hellfire missiles a "toy" --LOL

in the USA all aircraft fall into three categories
public
civil
model

even if it is a "toy" there are flight rules

https://www.faa.gov/uas/media/Sec_331_336_UAS.pdf

Some of the recent developments in the toy drone issue are a quad-copter which is equipped with an aim-able and operable .45 automatic pistol and one which has been found carrying drugs across the Mexican border. If a toy drone can carry a pound of marijuana it can carry a pound of C-4 explosive and deliver it from (at least) a mile distance.

I'm presently hesitating to spend a significant amount of money on an upscale drone because I don't know what the forthcoming FAA regulations will be.

 

[airplanemechanic]

Unfortunately, you can't shoot almost anything, inside the city limits.

If the guy had been black, nothing would have happened any differently... .unless the black guy had attacked him. Then yes, he would have been shot, and rightfully so.

As for the drone. If the drone was over his property... I don't know how he can get in trouble for that.

If I drive my car onto your front lawn, and you key it... you get in trouble for me driving onto your front lawn?

Apples or oranges comparison. You own the land, not the airspace. You can't shoot things down that fly over your land. Your ownership of your property stops at 1 inch above the ground. The rest is airspace. If said object is connected to your property, that's fine. But thats where the line is drawn.

But that being said, no, you don't have a right to criminally damage my property if I drive onto your land. Otherwise people would be able to key FedEx and UPS trucks when they deliver a package and of course that's not legal.

public
civil
model

even if it is a "toy" there are flight rules

https://www.faa.gov/uas/media/Sec_331_336_UAS.pdf

And your website shows the exact same rules I stated. Thanks for the backup of what I said earlier. If you want to prove someone wrong, try not to get pwned by your own link. And you really don't need to link me to the FAA, I'm an FAA licensed pilot and mechanic. I've taken tests on FAA regulations and I used to teach RC flight training at a sanctioned field.

 

[jon_berzerk]

Unfortunately, you can't shoot almost anything, inside the city limits.

If the guy had been black, nothing would have happened any differently... .unless the black guy had attacked him. Then yes, he would have been shot, and rightfully so.

As for the drone. If the drone was over his property... I don't know how he can get in trouble for that.

If I drive my car onto your front lawn, and you key it... you get in trouble for me driving onto your front lawn?

Apples or oranges comparison. You own the land, not the airspace. You can't shoot things down that fly over your land. Your ownership of your property stops at 1 inch above the ground. The rest is airspace. If said object is connected to your property, that's fine. But thats where the line is drawn.

[
public
civil
model

even if it is a "toy" there are flight rules

https://www.faa.gov/uas/media/Sec_331_336_UAS.pdf

And your website shows the exact same rules I stated. Thanks for the backup of what I said earlier.

You can't shoot things down that fly over your land.

indeed you can

if you live outside a city

ducks and geese come to mind for starters

--LOL

 

[airplanemechanic]

I said you can't shoot down THINGs that fly over your land. This has nothing to do with hunting for sport. Did the guy have a license to shoot down drones? If not, he's in violation of at least 3 or 4 laws that I can think of right off the bat.

Why bring up things about people outside the city? We're discussing the topic at hand.

 

[jon_berzerk]

There are no flight rules for a drone. It's a toy.

really do you consider the drones that shoot hellfire missiles a "toy" --LOL

in the USA all aircraft fall into three categories
public
civil
model

even if it is a "toy" there are flight rules

https://www.faa.gov/uas/media/Sec_331_336_UAS.pdf

Some of the recent developments in the toy drone issue are a quad-copter which is equipped with an aim-able and operable .45 automatic pistol and one which has been found carrying drugs across the Mexican border. If a toy drone can carry a pound of marijuana it can carry a pound of C-4 explosive and deliver it from (at least) a mile distance.

I'm presently hesitating to spend a significant amount of money on an upscale drone because I don't know what the forthcoming FAA regulations will be.

if you got the money buy or build one

you are right though

they certainly can be weaponized

 

[jon_berzerk]

I said you can't shoot down THINGs that fly over your land. This has nothing to do with hunting for sport. Did the guy have a license to shoot down drones? If not, he's in violation of at least 3 or 4 laws that I can think of right off the bat.

a lot of drones have been shot down over private land

Activists drone shot out of the sky for fourth time sUAS News

 

[airplanemechanic]

It's not legal. You can't do crack but some people do. Doesn't make it legal. Notice who is there in that picture, law enforcement. That's also a 3 year old article.

 

[jon_berzerk]

there was even a town that was considering selling licenses for drone shooting

--LOL

 

[jon_berzerk]

you can always jam their radio frequencies if you are so inclined