Florida man arrested for shooting at Walmart drone
A Florida man felt he was being followed by drones and fired specifically at a Walmart delivery drone, leading to multiple charges.
Aimed shots at drones or airplanes are strictly prohibited in Florida.
(Image: Shutterstock/richardjohnson)
As Yahoo reports, a 72-year-old man from Clermont is facing several charges. Among other things, he is accused of shooting at a Walmart delivery drone. According to him, it flew over his house and he tried to "scare it away". After failing to do so, he tried to drive the delivery drone away at gunpoint. Neighbors and witnesses reported the incident to the Lake County Sheriff's Office, who then investigated the circumstances.
As it turned out, the drone was on the move as part of a promotional campaign by the company DroneUp, which had started a cooperation with Walmart. They wanted to advertise the new service via mock deliveries. A two-person DroneUp team was on its way to pick up the drone. They were waiting at the programmed delivery point in a cul-de-sac in front of the shooter's house. According to the employees, the drone had already reached the target area and was descending when the suspect pointed a handgun at it.
Drone remained airworthy
After the drone-up crew heard a gunshot, the employees fled into the van and drove back to Walmart. The damaged drone also managed to land back at the supermarket under its own power. Walmart's drone delivery service is being tested in several states in the USA. After questioning by sheriff's officials, the shooter admitted to firing a shot from his 9mm caliber pistol at the drone. The individual said drones were constantly flying over his home, which he suspected was being used to monitor him.
Under Florida law, it is illegal to operate drones over or near "critical infrastructure". However, it is permitted to fly drones over residential areas. The police took the defendant to the Lake County Jail and charged him with shooting at an aircraft. In Florida, shooting at aircraft is considered a felony. Other charges include criminal mischief and damaging a drone causing over $1,000 in damage, as well as firing a firearm in public.
The 72-year-old has since been released on $13,500 bail pending trial. A Walmart spokesperson said that the company was aware of the incident but would not comment further. Walmart referred the matter to Lake County law enforcement for information. In a Facebook post, the sheriff's office stated that a bullet hole was discovered in the payload area of the drone. The Lake County Sheriff's Department also posted more details about the incident on its Facebook page.
(dmk)
