Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Hillview man arrested for shooting down drone; cites right to privacy
WDRB.com ^ | July 28, 2015 | Ryan Cummings

Posted on 07/29/2015 7:19:24 AM PDT by Rodamala

click here to read article


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-68 next last
Searched titles, and keywords. Did not see posted.

Enjoy.

1 posted on 07/29/2015 7:19:24 AM PDT by Rodamala
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Rodamala
**The drone was hit in mid-air and crashed in a field near Merideth's home.**

Like they say in the Air Defense Artillery, If it flies it dies.

2 posted on 07/29/2015 7:22:40 AM PDT by Gamecock (Many Atheists: "There is no God and I hate Him!")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rodamala
Hillview Police detective Charles McWhirter of says you can't fire your gun in the city.

Reason No. 1 of a 1000 to live in the country. Ask the squirrels visiting my Pear Trees daily.

3 posted on 07/29/2015 7:25:28 AM PDT by catfish1957 (I display the Confederate Battle Flag with pride in honor of my brave ancestors who fought w/ valor)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rodamala
Yes we need a legal defense against Peeping Drones.
Do shotgun pellets fired straight up do any significant damage coming down? I thought it doesn't.

4 posted on 07/29/2015 7:26:05 AM PDT by BitWielder1 (I'd rather have Unequal Wealth than Equal Poverty.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rodamala

I live in rural central KY. I vowed to be far from any city limits. This is just one of MANY advantages to it. And I can hunt without a license on my property (because it’s over 10 acres).

When you live in city limits, you really do give up a lot of your “self defense” rights. Cities are a form of a “collective”.

You’ll notice the guy who lived out in the sticks that was reported here a week or so ago didn’t go to jail for shooting down a drone. There is a reason. ;-)


5 posted on 07/29/2015 7:26:25 AM PDT by cuban leaf (The US will not survive the obama presidency. The world may not either.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rodamala
'If you cross my sidewalk, there's gonna be another shooting.'"

I just love that response. Reading this, the excuse of "friend's home" just doesn't jive with what is described as a progressive inspection (some at low level) of multiple homes. There are some parts of the description of events that read like peeping tom.

If you own a drone and think you can just fly over someone's personal property to do whatever, then you should also be responsible for the risk involved you'll lose your expensive toy.

6 posted on 07/29/2015 7:27:11 AM PDT by Gaffer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: catfish1957

Shoulda used a paint ball gun, good training to become Anne Oakley.


7 posted on 07/29/2015 7:27:52 AM PDT by biff (Et Tu Boeh-ner)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Rodamala

At some points, the drone was only 10 feet off the ground. Could’ve caught it with a pool skimmer.


8 posted on 07/29/2015 7:28:27 AM PDT by Charles Martel (Endeavor to persevere...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rodamala

Jury nullification.


9 posted on 07/29/2015 7:28:47 AM PDT by onedoug
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rodamala

“Four guys came over to confront me about it, and I happened to be armed, so that changed their minds,” Merideth said.


10 posted on 07/29/2015 7:31:10 AM PDT by WakeUpAndVote
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rodamala
For now, Merideth says he's planning on pursuing legal action against the owners of the drone.

Right or wrong, I hope Merideth has a 5 figure bank account to fund his legal expenses. Between his defense attorney and civil suit attorney, he's going to be shelling out tens of thousands.

11 posted on 07/29/2015 7:32:42 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (With Great Freedom comes Great Responsibility)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: biff

I wonder if one could adapt the magnetron from a microwave oven into a drone zapper?


12 posted on 07/29/2015 7:32:54 AM PDT by null and void (If the government can't protect the Marines, how can we expect it to protect us?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: Rodamala
Merideth was arrested and charged with first degree criminal mischief and first degree wanton endangerment.

The "criminal mischief" charge is debatable as the drone was destroyed which may be illegal. The "wanton endangerment" is actually wanton over-charging on the prosecutor's part. Since the drone landed in a field this is obviously a semi-rural area, the guy hit his target, and birdshot fired in the air isn't going to hurt anyone or anything on the ground. On top of that the police gave they voyeurs their drone back. Glad to see the police and DA giving everyone more reasons to hate them.

13 posted on 07/29/2015 7:33:36 AM PDT by RightOnTheBorder
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rodamala

I have quizzed land surveyors about this. There is a minimum altitude (FAA rule) that planes and helicopters can fly over your property. Anything less than that could be considered trespassing. I don’t remember the altitude, but its certainly higher than shotgun range.

This guy is going to get in trouble because of the discharge of a firearm in the city limits...but its not ‘ok’ to hover around over other people’s property. Especially as drones get bigger and have more powerful blades - if they fall or fly at you, it could actually be dangerous.


14 posted on 07/29/2015 7:35:34 AM PDT by lacrew
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rodamala
They didn’t take the SIM card out of it...

Why didn't the property owner/shooter remove and destroy said SIM card?
15 posted on 07/29/2015 7:38:40 AM PDT by SpinnerWebb (Winter is coming)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gaffer

When you are outside, the right to privacy gets very hazy. Are you going to stand in your yard and say “No one can look at me”? The question is whether they were stalking.


16 posted on 07/29/2015 7:39:40 AM PDT by AppyPappy
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 6 | View Replies]

To: Rodamala
‘VanMeter has a 16-year-old daughter who lays out at their pool’

‘it was down by the neighbor’s house, about 10 feet off the ground, looking under their canopy that they’ve got under their back yard’

I sure hope the owners of the drone are charged with SOMETHING. They are nothing but creepy voyeurs.

17 posted on 07/29/2015 7:40:04 AM PDT by originalbuckeye ("In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act." - George Orwell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Rodamala

I’m very sympathetic to the man but let’s just say someone shoots a drone out of the sky and it crashes and damages someone’s roof - who’s responsible, the gunman or the drone owner? Let’s say it crashes and kills a neighbor’s dog who didn’t see it coming - who’s responsible, the gunman or the drone owner? Let’s say it knocks a satellite dish off somebody’s roof - who pays to fix it? Etc.

Does the drone owner have an unlimited right to air space over people’s homes without their permission and without consequence? Does the homeowner have an unlimited right to self-defense of any perceived intruders in the air space above his head? I don’t think we want to grant either one but I lean more towards the man with the house because, after all, he can’t move the house and he has put in place all reasonable means of privacy to his property. The drone owner should be limited to public right of ways and properties where he has permission to fly over.


18 posted on 07/29/2015 7:40:32 AM PDT by OrangeHoof (SECEDE TEXAS!! If not now, when?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: AppyPappy

10 feet off the ground and apparently viewing under a canopy (IIRC from the article)? You don’t call that invasion of privacy?


19 posted on 07/29/2015 7:41:40 AM PDT by Gaffer
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 16 | View Replies]

To: Rodamala

how about paintballs?

frozen paintballs?

how about drone shooting immunity?

Amazon wants a 400 foot “drone corridor” to fly through people’s homes’ airspace. Will amazon be paying for this?


20 posted on 07/29/2015 7:42:00 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-68 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson