Legal drone shot down by neighbor

[NormanNormal]

I can case his "ranch", count his horses and his gates, find a staging area for my trailer and darn near determine when he and his neighbors are home, just using google earth. No drone needed.

I have learned something from working/living in several countries.
The ones looking for trouble are SELDOM able to handle it.

Just be as nice as people will allow you to be to them until that time passes......

Yeah this is what really got me. If people actually stopped to think about what they are accusing and how poor of a tool it really is for these purposes maybe they would realize how asinine their thinking is. The two biggest things I see people accuse us of are spying to steal stuff or being a pervert. In both of these events it seems to me using a remote controlled quad copter would be a very poor way of going about it. Somehow I really doubt if you go into the pervert/thief/spy communities they are all discussing the best drones to use and salivating at having such the perfect criminal tool available to them. I wonder how many times in reality a "drone" has been used to actually spy on people or case a place to steal things. I have a feeling it's very a fraction of a percentage of all the flights out there. Yet the media makes it sound like it's their primary purpose and people believe it.

Like the guy that is famous for shooting down his neighbors drone last year, he said:

We don’t know if he was looking at the girls. We don’t know if he was looking for something to steal. To me, it was the same as trespassing.”

This is everyone first assumption, yet it's a terrible one and this guy used it as his justification. Think about it though, if you are a dude intent on taking pictures of people for sexual gratification, what would be more effective? Hiding in the bushes with a long telephoto lens, quietly and secretly or buzzing over the heads of people creating noise and attention, while at best getting video and pictures where you can hardly see anyone in any detail. I can hear the buzzing of my Phantom from 1000ft away. I can't imagine anyone actually using it for those purposes.

I think the media has given people the idea that your average phantom has the abilities of things seen on 24 and CSI, where you can take images silently from 3000ft above and "enhance" and zoom in on the smallest details like the military. Pure fiction but that is what people believe.

 

[Air Ontario]

Lol, yes, apparently. Although I know there had to be more to the "gutter inspection" story just based on experience.

 

[Air Ontario]

Yeah this is what really got me. If people actually stopped to think about what they are accusing and how poor of a tool it really is for these purposes maybe they would realize how asinine their thinking is. The two biggest things I see people accuse us of are spying to steal stuff or being a pervert. In both of these events it seems to me using a remote controlled quad copter would be a very poor way of going about it. Somehow I really doubt if you go into the pervert/thief/spy communities they are all discussing the best drones to use and salivating at having such the perfect criminal tool available to them. I wonder how many times in reality a "drone" has been used to actually spy on people or case a place to steal things. I have a feeling it's very a fraction of a percentage of all the flights out there. Yet the media makes it sound like it's their primary purpose and people believe it.

Like the guy that is famous for shooting down his neighbors drone last year, he said:



This is everyone first assumption, yet it's a terrible one and this guy used it as his justification. Think about it though, if you are a dude intent on taking pictures of people for sexual gratification, what would be more effective? Hiding in the bushes with a long telephoto lens, quietly and secretly or buzzing over the heads of people creating noise and attention, while at best getting video and pictures where you can hardly see anyone in any detail. I can hear the buzzing of my Phantom from 1000ft away. I can't imagine anyone actually using it for those purposes.

I think the media has given people the idea that your average phantom has the abilities of things seen on 24 and CSI, where you can take images silently from 3000ft above and "enhance" and zoom in on the smallest details like the military. Pure fiction but that is what people believe.

You obviously crowed his comfort zone in his own mind or who knows, he may be doing something off color or even off colour depending on location. lol

 

[Air Ontario]

Yeah this is what really got me. If people actually stopped to think about what they are accusing and how poor of a tool it really is for these purposes maybe they would realize how asinine their thinking is. The two biggest things I see people accuse us of are spying to steal stuff or being a pervert. In both of these events it seems to me using a remote controlled quad copter would be a very poor way of going about it. Somehow I really doubt if you go into the pervert/thief/spy communities they are all discussing the best drones to use and salivating at having such the perfect criminal tool available to them. I wonder how many times in reality a "drone" has been used to actually spy on people or case a place to steal things. I have a feeling it's very a fraction of a percentage of all the flights out there. Yet the media makes it sound like it's their primary purpose and people believe it.

Like the guy that is famous for shooting down his neighbors drone last year, he said:



This is everyone first assumption, yet it's a terrible one and this guy used it as his justification. Think about it though, if you are a dude intent on taking pictures of people for sexual gratification, what would be more effective? Hiding in the bushes with a long telephoto lens, quietly and secretly or buzzing over the heads of people creating noise and attention, while at best getting video and pictures where you can hardly see anyone in any detail. I can hear the buzzing of my Phantom from 1000ft away. I can't imagine anyone actually using it for those purposes.

I think the media has given people the idea that your average phantom has the abilities of things seen on 24 and CSI, where you can take images silently from 3000ft above and "enhance" and zoom in on the smallest details like the military. Pure fiction but that is what people believe.

If you knew that Oklahoma area, there is no way he was inspecting gutters and was mistaken to the point of his bird being shot at.
The houses are on acreage some distance apart in a gated community.
It could possibly be a clothing optional type gated community.

No way he was on one property checking gutters and some female getting alarmed enough to go get another neighbor to shoot the bird on the property being inspected. Just doesn't add up.

We just didn't get all the facts. By media design I expect.

 

[dirkclod]

It could possibly be a clothing optional type gated community.

 

[Air Ontario]

View attachment 49371

my uncle. lol

 

[QuadcopterFL]

I would bet money, if the quadcopter belonged to the police dept. or city and was being used for whatever purpose and got shot down...there would be so many charges that you may not ever get out of jail...just sayin'

Obviously the law isn't being applied equally.

 

[Skywalker]

I came here to post this. I absolutely blame the media for spreading misinformation and lies about "drones". I hate that **** term the media popularized because it is synonymous with bad things and "spying". They have created this climate of fear and these idiots with no common sense immediate think someone is spying or up to no good when one is flying anywhere. What absolutely shocks me is that no charges are being filed. The drone operator was flying completely legally for legit purposes, he had his property violently destroyed, a gun was discharged in a neighborhood up in the air. How many bullets fired into the air every year kill random people? It happens all the time. The idiot woman and the guy who shot down the inspire should be charged to the fullest extent, along with civil charges. They should be sued into oblivion and put into jail. Society is so backwards it makes me sick.

This attitude is all too common with people. I posted this before the other day but I was flying last week on a large public canal bank here in Florida. Flying up and down the canal range testing my new DBS panel. At no point did I fly over any houses or people and I was always around 300-390ft expect to take off and land. Just after I landed to pack it up and go home, some idiot pulled up next to me in a pickup truck in a very aggressive belligerent manner. He shouted at me, "What are YOU DOING?". I told him I am enjoying flying my quadcopter. He scream back, "That's no quadcopter, THAT IS A DRONE!". He then told me he saw it fly past his property and accused me of spying on him in a plot to steal his horses. I could not believe what I was hearing. I spent 10 mins explaining to him I am a hobbyist out for enjoyment, that I've lived down the street for 8 years and I am a responsible citizen. I would be happy to show him my flight logs and footage so he would not need to take my word for it. Finally got him to calm down and realize what I am saying is true. He left me saying that he is retired and is looking out for his neighbors and that I better be careful because people "around here" don't take kindly to drones and someone will shoot it down eventually. I felt like saying that would make them criminals for discharging firearms in a neighborhood and endangering people, while I am legal, but I held my tongue.

What absolutely amazed me about this encounter is that his property was about 300ft from where I was sitting bordered on 2 sides by public roads. I was just sitting out in the open in the middle of the canal bank not hiding anything. You could see his whole place better from the public road than in the air especially at 400ft where I can see less than a google earth view. What was this guy thinking? I told him that I can't see much that high and he said "don't tell me that because my nephew has one and it can zoom in real good on horses." In reality it would be the worst possible way to "spy" on someone because it's immediately apparent. It's obvious he has been completely brainwashed by the media. How do you deal with these fools? More and more of them around.

You laugh, shake your head and walk away. Nothing you say or show them will educate them.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk

 

[GoodnNuff]

A little more to the story here:
Woman allegedly persuades neighbor to shoot down legal drone

 

[Air Ontario]

Yep. Knew there was way more to it than the media reported.

Sounds like cops did the right thing. If the parties involved can settle up with one another happily, no harm no foul and a heck of a lot less report writing for the cop.

 

[Not A Speck Of Cereal]

Thanks media! You whip up a frenzy over drones and now you ....

Why are you blaming the media? People are quite capable of getting worked up like this all by themselves. It's happened time and time again.

 

[Wheatfield]

Don't become a victim of what you have already identified.
The media is biased, creates news and is not a reliable source of FACTS.

I can interpret this from years of this type stuff.
Fact: Very rural area. County jurisdiction. County law, unlike city law.
Fact: That is a gated community. One road in, one road out.
Fact: High dollar homes on acreage with swimming pools, etc.

I almost guarantee there is way more to this than even the media knows.
Notice none of the neighbors would comment. They know it's not what it appears or what the media thinks.

No way the SO would walk away from a charge if it was like WE THINK it happened based on the story.

It went like this.....SO rolls up on shots fired, checks out the people and neighbors, finds out what is really going on, sees this is mostly a civil matter with some grey criminal areas around both parties.

Basically tells both parties to settle down or both will be charged with a contravention of disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace and maybe reckless endangerment for a start.

Tells the drone operator to mind his business and the shooter to mind his business or both go to jail. Reminds them their neighbors and likely will be for a long time and that SO better not be called back to either place anytime soon.

No way one can fly gutters in that rural gated community on acreage and possibly "threaten" anyone(neighbor). For a female to get the neighbor to shoot down another neighbor's drone is laughable. Way more to this.

Way more going on than we know and the SO is trying to keep the peace and allow people to conduct themselves civilly or else.

Likely some deal where the guy had been spying and the neighbor and neighbors knew. Likely been warned several times until enough was enough.

SO tells drone owner you got what you deserved so eat the loss or have charges laid. SO tells other neighbor call police next time or face charges. Tells them, both of you need to resolve this and get along or else all of you are going to jail.

More likely a case of some batshit crazy hillbilly with a bad case of paranoia who just got away with reckless endangerment and destruction of private property because they live in a lawless section of the third world and was able to bribe the local police.

 

[Air Ontario]

More likely a case of some batshit crazy hillbilly with a bad case of paranoia who just got away with reckless endangerment and destruction of private property because they live in a lawless section of the third world and was able to bribe the local police.

Obviously 1) you are late to the party and have no clue what you chirp about nor able to read any of the periodicals that have updated the story.
2) extremely biased, prejudiced and posses a head full of poop.
3) a troll

 

[dirkclod]

More likely a case of some batshit crazy hillbilly with a bad case of paranoia who just got away with reckless endangerment and destruction of private property because they live in a lawless section of the third world and was able to bribe the local police.

Your mouth

 

[tlhintoq]

Great way for a person to get shot. If I am flying my drone/copter/aircraft/toy... whatever you want to call it... On my property and someone shoots *from off property, onto my property*, I'm going to pull out my CCW and return fire in self defense.

Some people just shouldn't have a gun. They forget they still have to feel as if their life is in danger, or the life of someone else, in order to respond with potentially lethal action.

They forget they are responsible for that bullet from the time it leaves the barrel to the time it comes to rest. If they shoot THROUGH the drone and into someone's bedroom window for example they are going to jail. If they kill someone in the process it could mean their life.

In my area you can shoot in your backyard if you like. You have to have more than 1 acre... Not shoot into other people's property. Not shoot in the direction of buildings, roads or people. Take reasonable precautions such as a backstop/burm. I go target shooting in my back yard / forest nearly every weekend.

 

[NRJ]

Bang on Geo with that statement!

What blows me away however is the Sheriffs office comments...........

"If you're going to be flying a drone and it happens to be in a neighborhood and you're there because you're working, let people know. As much as you can let the people around there know, hey I'm going to be flying my drone around,"

IMO - that is hardly the issue here (despite being good advice....maybe).........they seem far more concerned about the "drone" flying around than they do with some dope who came out with GUN and shot it down! Man oh man - as much as I hate to say it ........... this is just a totally insane mindset to the point where it becomes......well.......laughable

Right now the Oklahoma County Sheriff's office is investigating, but they tell us they do not think any charges will be filed.

Incredible.......just can't get my head around this where it is not likely any charges will be filed, the guy discharges a weapon in a neighborhood and this doesn't seem to be the concern at all?

Maybe it's just me and living in Canada where our mindset and laws are pretty well "polar opposites" to those in SOME parts of the USA when it comes to guns.

I agree this is totally ridiculous. The gun idiot is the problem. I'm not against guns, just the idiots who don't know when or how to use them. So, I think I'm going into business. I'm going to make flag banners for drones where it says, "I'm flying in your area on business - Don't Shoot" You can just drag it behind your drone.

That statement by the police shows how the police are simply pacifying the neighborhood. They won't do anything. But, by the police not doing anything, it gives free license to the idiot gun shooters. The drone pilot or business should have pressed charges or sued him, one or the other or both.

 

[NRJ]

Yup - happens more and more these days where the its the victims fault not the perpetrator.



Not to make "light" of your post (which is very good and pointed information).............however when Einstein made that remark it was a good call on your part not to "ruffle any feathers". If they can shoot em down in Oklahoma - they can do it there - or worse.

Your whole story on the meet with that guy is just so unreal - unfathomable!

A lot relate the word 'drone" to spying and killing and are living in near paranoia from all the negative media coverage............never going to get better. All we can do is what you did - take the time to try at least to discuss and/or educate the people who are asking!

Yes because the Police, FBI, CIA, DEA, NSA, and other government operations are the agencies who are doing the spying and they are afraid because they will never know if and when they are doing the spying. So, they blame the drone hobbyists. But, that is pretty immature thinking. So, such is the way of many uneducated people.

 

[steveeds]

Man Shoots Quad
Some things are hard and one can even have a different point of view from others, not here.

Man is an idiot and this can be qualified, no thought of 3 seconds later, lets keep it real here there is no room for discussion (not even a little bit)

 

[GWabbit]

So a guy s legally flying a drone to inspect gutters while a neighbor gets spooked and instead of calling to cops, or walking over to see what's up, just shoots it down. Thanks media! You whip up a frenzy over drones and now you get to report on the fallout.

Legal drone shot down in Edmond neighborhood

Geo

File charges because a drone is regulated by the FFA so they are legally government regulated aircraft. Shooting one down is a Federal Crime.. And most city's have an ordinance that it's illegal to discharge a firearm in the city limits. So you have reckless endangerment, illegal discharge of a firearm, destruction of private property, and destruction of an aircraft. And that's not counting a civil suit and possible of the individual. Plus wouldn't it be an investigation if local law enforcement doesn't report a federal crime simply because they agree with the criminal.

 

[Wang J Coon]

I know of mineral rights with respect to property ownership, is there ownership of airspace?