New Jersey Man Arrested for Shooting Down Neighbor’s Remote Control Drone

[Anti Federalist]

New Jersey Man Accused Of Shooting Down Neighbor’s Remote Control Drone

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2014/09/30/new-jersey-man-accused-of-shooting-down-neighbors-remote-control-drone/

LOWER TOWNSHIP, N.J. (CBS) — A New Jersey man was arrested after police say he shot down a neighbor’s remote control drone.

According to investigators, officers with the Lower Township Police Department were called to a home in the 1000 block of Seashore Road on September 26th to investigate the report by a resident that his remote control helicopter (drone) was shot down.

Investigators say the resident was taking aerial photographs of his friend’s home, which is under construction.

While doing so, the resident told police he heard several gunshots as he simultaneously lost control of the drone.

After retrieving the drone, the resident observed multiple holes in it that were consistent with a shotgun blast.

The resident called the Lower Township Police Department and when officers arrived, he directed them to the area where he heard the shots coming from.

After an investigation, police say they determined 32-year-old Russell J. Percenti allegedly fired the shots that brought down the drone.

Percenti was arrested and charged with Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose and Criminal Mischief.

The shotgun used to shoot down the drone was seized by police.

Percenti was released after posting bail

[jllundqu]

I'm confused... what crime did he commit?

[invisible]

I'm confused... what crime did he commit?

Being a gun owner and willing to defend his property and privacy, while living in NJ.

[Brian4Liberty]

I'm confused... what crime did he commit?

Vandalism? Destruction of property? Firing a weapon in a residential area? (At least firing a shotgun up in the air won't do too much damage when the shot comes down. Depends on the shot size of course.)

Now if it was actually above his property, some of the applicable laws might change. Drone owner might be trespassing at that point.

[specsaregood]

I'm confused... what crime did he commit?
IIRC, discharging a firearm within 500yds of a house ain't legal, in NJ.

[tod evans]

Folks on the East side of the Mississippi and North of the Mason-Dixon line have different ideas of proper behavior than I do...

I tend to think the ol' boy should have a beer or two bought for his marksmanship.

[Brian4Liberty]

In the future, I predict small, cheap drones to become quite common at sporting clays facilities. ;)

[RonPaulIsGreat]

Oh, please, the guy shot down someones toy drone, and people call that defending property and protecting privacy.

So, I guess protecting privacy, and defending property would entail, shooting down helicopters, and airplanes as well. Or what about satellites? Unless your underground, as in physically underground, you're inside a building with the curtains drawn, you haven't had "privacy" for decades.

[jtap]

He should have used a pellet gun or paintball gun (assuming he could get away with it then...and also assuming it was over his property).

[dannno]

Oh, please, the guy shot down someones toy drone, and people call that defending property and protecting privacy.

So, I guess protecting privacy, and defending property would entail, shooting down helicopters, and airplanes as well. Or what about satellites? Unless your underground, as in physically underground, you're inside a building with the curtains drawn, you haven't had "privacy" for decades.

What if the drone was filming your daughter in her bedroom?

[RonPaulIsGreat]

What if the drone was filming your daughter in her bedroom?

It wasn't it was filming a home being constructed.

[Dr.3D]

It wasn't it was filming a home being constructed.
So, who wants everybody to know the floor plan to their new home?

[dannno]

It wasn't it was filming a home being constructed.

I'm not defending this guy - I'm defending the idea that shooting down somebody's toy drone could have legitimate purpose.

Obviously this guy thought the drone was removing his privacy and that was probably the main reason he shot it down, I don't know if it was justifiable in this case though.

[RonPaulIsGreat]

I'm not defending this guy - I'm defending the idea that shooting down somebody's toy drone could have legitimate purpose.

Obviously this guy thought the drone was removing his privacy and that was probably the main reason he shot it down, I don't know if it was justifiable in this case though.

Obviously? There are a lot of nutjobs running around, that are paranoid of everything. Once I was walking on a sidewalk by a house, and some crazy old dude came storming out of the house yelling to get off his property. There are crazy people out there. It doesn't even sound like the house under construction was owned by the guy that shot the drone. The article says the guy was recording the construction of his friends house.

[dannno]

Obviously? There are a lot of nutjobs running around, that are paranoid of everything. Once I was walking on a sidewalk by a house, and some crazy old dude came storming out of the house yelling to get off his property. There are crazy people out there. It doesn't even sound like the house under construction was owned by the guy that shot the drone. The article says the guy was recording the construction of his friends house.

Yes and if you're flying a drone around your friend's house, you're also flying a drone around 3, 4, 5 or more of their neighbor's houses.

That's why I said it would be difficult to determine here, we don't know how close the houses were or how close the drone got to this guy's property.

You're correct that it is possible he just shot it down for fun, or that he was being overly paranoid.

[Root]

Note to self: Time to invest in a pellet gun...

[69360]

Note to self: Time to invest in a pellet gun...


I would have used RPG.

[Dr.3D]

I would have used RPG.
A tank full of compressed air, a short piece of hose with a quick opening valve with a 3/4 inch pipe with a hand full of bbs would work very well.

[JK/SEA]

sling shot .

[Brian4Liberty]

3145

[ChristianAnarchist]

Yes and if you're flying a drone around your friend's house, you're also flying a drone around 3, 4, 5 or more of their neighbor's houses.

That's why I said it would be difficult to determine here, we don't know how close the houses were or how close the drone got to this guy's property.

You're correct that it is possible he just shot it down for fun, or that he was being overly paranoid.

I also have an airplane. I flew my plane over my home at 500 feet to get some pictures of my home. I could just as easily shot photos of my neighbors homes and any kids swimming in their pools. I sure hope someone doesn't decide they can shoot me down...

[vita3]

Shooting down drones is Awesome.

[jmdrake]

I also have an airplane. I flew my plane over my home at 500 feet to get some pictures of my home. I could just as easily shot photos of my neighbors homes and any kids swimming in their pools. I sure hope someone doesn't decide they can shoot me down...

I'm assuming that if the drone pilot had his drone passing over at 500 feet his neighbor with a shot gun wouldn't have been able to shoot him down. A drone pilot letting having his drone hover over his neighbors house at low altitude shouldn't be shocked that he eventually runs into some kind of trouble.

[Christian Liberty]

What if the drone was filming your daughter in her bedroom?

I'd shoot it down. I'm not going to say someone should necessarily be locked up for doing that (though depending on the age of the perpetrator and the woman, I might well justify shooting the person who did it) but I think destroying the camera is totally beyond legitimate.

That said, I understand why this issue is controversial based on how exactly one views the NAP.

[HOLLYWOOD]

Watch 2014 SOUTHPARK Season 18, Episode 5 "The Magic Bush"


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Magic_Bush

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B1ubS-wCcAAMTxp.jpg

[Slave Mentality]

3145


YUSSS!

[Dr.3D]

I'm assuming that if the drone pilot had his drone passing over at 500 feet his neighbor with a shot gun wouldn't have been able to shoot him down. A drone pilot letting having his drone hover over his neighbors house at low altitude shouldn't be shocked that he eventually runs into some kind of trouble.
Yeah, those things look like they would succumb to a 1-1/8 ounce load of 8 shot.

[seapilot]

Expect personal drones ownership to increase exponentially in the near future.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVV9AkPdRAY&index=4&list=PL-kWyla9a9S8NIiUaZs9_OS_MdVCiYPC6