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El Reg reports
A father who shot down a drone that was hovering over his family home in Kentucky has been cleared of all charges.
Dad-of-two William Merideth thought the quadcopter was spying on his daughters in their yard in Hillview and blasted the gizmo out of the sky with a shotgun. That earned him the title "Drone Slayer" from pro-privacy quarters.
Merideth was arrested shortly after in July and charged with criminal mischief and wanton endangerment.
He appeared before the Bullitt County District Court on Monday this week and after a two and a half hour hearing, Judge Rebecca Ward dismissed the case against him.
"I was in my right to protect my family and my property", said Merideth.
The judge agreed, telling the court: "He had a right to shoot at this drone."
David Boggs, who owned the downed drone, was hoping to get the cost of the machine in compensation and said he will ask the Commonwealth's Attorney's office to take the case to a grand jury--or consider pursuing a civil case against Merideth.
Previous: Man Arrested for Shooting Down Drone Flying Over His Property
(Score: 3, Funny) by frojack on Thursday October 29 2015, @03:54AM
So shotguns seems to be the beat the public endangerment argument, and if daughters are involved so much the better.
Kentucky now has TWO shotguns + daughters traditions.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 3, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Thursday October 29 2015, @04:11AM
Well, don't forget that the forgettable guy who lives with Obama told Americans to step out on the porch, and blast away with a shotgun. If Obama's chump says it's alright - well - it's alright!
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 29 2015, @06:05AM
Are you being metaphorical or did I miss a story?
-- gewg_
(Score: 2) by Runaway1956 on Thursday October 29 2015, @06:17AM
Maybe a bit of both - http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/02/19/joe-biden-guns_n_2719330.html [huffingtonpost.com]
For a more humorous take on the words of a fool - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cIdKIM2btoA [youtube.com]
(Score: 1) by Anonymous Couuard on Friday October 30 2015, @02:12AM
Thanks for the youtube link Runaway. I laughed hard. It is probably old news to most people but I missed it. It is a catchy tune and I'll probably have it stuck in my head for a few days.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday October 29 2015, @08:04AM
Are you being metaphorical or did I miss a story?
I think we all know who wears the pants in that family!
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by CirclesInSand on Thursday October 29 2015, @05:12AM
Har Har, but you are actually in much more danger of the drone losing it's battery and falling on you (which could cause injury) than from the pellets falling gently from the sky. If anything, he did a public safety service.
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday October 29 2015, @05:38AM
Seems to me if you shoot a drone with a shotgun, the pellets and the battery will go away from you unless you shoot straight up.
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 2) by mojo chan on Thursday October 29 2015, @08:33AM
Away from you, towards some other person why isn't expecting bits of drone, battery and shot to rain down on them.
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
(Score: 2) by frojack on Thursday October 29 2015, @05:03PM
Because shotguns are so stealth.....
No, you are mistaken. I've always had this sig.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday October 29 2015, @01:25PM
Seems to me if you shoot a drone with a shotgun, the pellets and the battery will go away from you unless you shoot straight up.
You are wrong. There isn't enough energy in the shot gun ammo to severely adjust the momentum of the aircraft. It will either suffer a control systems failure, structural failure of the frame, or structure failure of the propellers/propulsion units and fall out of the sky because it can't maintain orientation. Failures like this are rather random, the air craft comes down and will land in a circle with a size dependent on how high it is. It won't necessarily be directed away from the shooter and it certainly won't be reliably aimed as if you are playing some kind of game of billiards with a shotgun and "drone."
Full disclosure: I shoot guns and fly remote control airplanes and helicopters (among other things), though I have no interest in either flying or shooting while trespassing.