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Eugene

(61,900 posts) Sat Feb 13, 2016, 01:03 PM Feb 2016

Man Who Shot Down Drone Pleads Guilty to Criminal Mischief

Source: Associated Press

Man Who Shot Down Drone Pleads Guilty to Criminal Mischief

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE, N.J. — Feb 13, 2016, 11:40 AM ET

A southern New Jersey man who shot down a drone flying above his neighborhood has pleaded guilty to criminal mischief.

Cape May County prosecutors will recommend that Russell Percenti receive probation when he's sentenced April 29.

The 34-year-old Lower Township man was charged with criminal mischief and a weapons offense stemming from the September 2014 incident on the southern tip of New Jersey's coast.

The drone's owner has said he was taking aerial photos of a friend's home under construction before he heard gunshots and lost control of the device. The man retrieved his damaged drone and notified police.

Percenti has said he was trying to protect his family's privacy. He could have faced more than five years in prison if he was convicted on both counts.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/man-shot-drone-pleads-guilty-criminal-mischief-36916259

7 replies

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Man Who Shot Down Drone Pleads Guilty to Criminal Mischief (Original Post) Eugene Feb 2016 OP

Slingshot. 1/4 inch ball bearings. No gun necessary. hobbit709 Feb 2016 #1

And that would still be illegal VMA131Marine Feb 2016 #2

Someone hovers one of those idiot drones 50 ft over my house might get a surprise. hobbit709 Feb 2016 #3

What would justify such actions? N/t Humanist_Activist Feb 2016 #5

Do you tolerate window peepers? Just a high tech variation of the same thing. hobbit709 Feb 2016 #6

Unless the thing is hoving right outside your window and actually peering in, no it isn't... Humanist_Activist Feb 2016 #7

Moon the drone. JonathanRackham Feb 2016 #4

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)

1. Slingshot. 1/4 inch ball bearings. No gun necessary.

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 01:06 PM

Feb 2016

VMA131Marine

(4,139 posts)

2. And that would still be illegal

Reply to hobbit709 (Reply #1)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 01:22 PM

Feb 2016

The FAA frowns heavily on people who shoot down aircraft. Even these small drones are considered aircraft in the eyes of the FAA.

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)

3. Someone hovers one of those idiot drones 50 ft over my house might get a surprise.

Reply to VMA131Marine (Reply #2)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 01:31 PM

Feb 2016

Once it crashes in my yard and the dogs finish playing with their new chew toy, there won't any evidence left.

Humanist_Activist

(7,670 posts)

5. What would justify such actions? N/t

Reply to hobbit709 (Reply #3)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 03:18 PM

Feb 2016

hobbit709

(41,694 posts)

6. Do you tolerate window peepers? Just a high tech variation of the same thing.

Reply to Humanist_Activist (Reply #5)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 03:28 PM

Feb 2016

Humanist_Activist

(7,670 posts)

7. Unless the thing is hoving right outside your window and actually peering in, no it isn't...

Reply to hobbit709 (Reply #6)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 03:34 PM

Feb 2016

using that logic, all cameras in public should be destroyed, regardless of context or use.

The drone operator in this case was filming a friends house that was under construction, the yahoo who became paranoid and shot it down is completely in the wrong here.

JonathanRackham

(1,604 posts)

4. Moon the drone.

Reply to Eugene (Original post)

Sat Feb 13, 2016, 01:32 PM

Feb 2016

Burn their eyes out.

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