How many school kids have been suspended or punished for bringing a GI Joe's toy gun to school where they have a zero tolerance policy? Totally ridiculous, but it happens.
So this guy who actually lives in the district flies his quad from the grounds of the Washington Monument at 1:30 A.M. The middle of the night. Granted, he may not realize he lives in the most restricted airspace in the nation, but why fly at 1:30 A.M.? Don't you think it may look suspicious?
Can you actually live in DC and be that naive about security in the area?
But regardless of the pilot's mindset; what were District Police supposed to do when they saw a lighted aircraft making it's way through our nation's most restricted airspace in the middle of the night? Shrug their shoulders and say "oh it's just a toy?"
This is what he was flying:
If I know nothing about drones, it might look threatening - but again, all the police saw were lights in the sky in our nation's most restricted airspace.
LE did exactly what they were supposed to do, and exactly what we want them to do - investigate.
They did, they fined the drone operator $85 for his ignorance or his stupidity - whichever it was.
I've made stupid mistakes that have cost me far more than $85.
I don't consider LE doing their job to be the end of my freedoms as a citizen.
Now whose turn to beat this dead horse?