Hillview man arrested for shooting down drone

Hillview man arrested for shooting down drone

Here is an interesting news story about flying drones over other peoples property.  We would like to know what you think, if you have an opinion on this, feel free to leave it in the comments below.

By Travis Kircher

williammeridithpoliceshot

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — A Hillview man has been arrested after he shot down a drone flying over his property — but he’s not making any apologies for it.

It happened Sunday night at a home on Earlywood Way, just south of the intersection between Smith Lane and Mud Lane in Bullitt County, according to an arrest report.

Hillview Police say they were called to the home of 47-year-old William H. Merideth after someone complained about a firearm.

When they arrived, police say Merideth told them he had shot down a drone that was flying over his house. The drone was hit in mid-air and crashed in a field near Merideth’s home.

Police say the owner of the drone claimed he was flying it to get pictures of a friend’s house — and that the cost of the drone was over $1,800.

Merideth was arrested and charged with first degree criminal mischief and first degree wanton endangerment. He was booked into the Bullitt County Detention Center, and released on Monday.

WDRB News spoke with Merideth Tuesday afternoon, and he gave his side of the story.

“Sunday afternoon, the kids – my girls – were out on the back deck, and the neighbors were out in their yard,” Merideth said. “And they come in and said, ‘Dad, there’s a drone out here, flying over everybody’s yard.’”

Merideth said he had to go see for himself.

“Well, I came out and 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,” Merideth said. ”I went and got my shotgun and I said, ‘I’m not going to do anything unless it’s directly over my property.’”

That moment soon arrived, he said.

“Within a minute or so, here it came,” he said. “It was hovering over top of my property, and I shot it out of the sky.”

It wasn’t long before the drone’s owners appeared.

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

A short time later, Merideth said the police arrived.

“There were some words exchanged there about my weapon, and I was open carry – it was completely legal,” he said. ”Long story short, after that, they took me to jail for wanton endangerment first degree and criminal mischief…because I fired the shotgun into the air.”

Merideth said he was disappointed with the police response.

“They didn’t confiscate the drone. They gave the drone back to the individuals,” he said. ”They didn’t take the SIM card out of it…but we’ve got…five houses here that everyone saw it – they saw what happened, including the neighbors that were sitting in their patio when he flew down low enough to see under the patio.”

Hillview Police declined to comment on the case, noting that it was still under investigation.

Merideth said he’s offering no apologies for what he did.

“He didn’t just fly over,” he said. “If he had been moving and just kept moving, that would have been one thing — but when he come directly over our heads, and just hovered there, I felt like I had the right.”

“You know, when you’re in your own property, within a six-foot privacy fence, you have the expectation of privacy,” 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.”

For now, Merideth says he’s planning on pursuing legal action against the owners of the drone.

“We’re not going to let it go,” he said. ”I believe there are rules that need to be put into place and the situation needs to be addressed because everyone I’ve spoke to, including police, have said they would have done the same thing.”

http://www.wdrb.com/story/29650818/louisville-man-arrested-for-shooting-down-drone

16 Comments

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  1. seems justified to me .. anyone that flies over other peoples houses is asking for trouble . the guy flying should perhaps be banned for a period to let them know they have done wrong . privacy is privacy and a drone flying over your yard is a breach of privacy .
    i fly quads and i would never even think of hovering over someones yard .

    1. Smith Lane and Mud Lane in Bullitt County ? Sounds like the whole story was made up out of whole cloth.

  2. I completely agree with this person. No one wants their space invaded by a stranger be in person or through other means. People are entitled to their privacy. Just because a person or persons can afford to purchase these wonderful pieces of equipment, They MUST learn to use this technology responsibility. The act of buzzing others private space is childish and their needs to be consequences
    for this behavior. I applaud Mr. Merideth. I fully understand his concerns, suppose the person flying that Drone had bee a pedophile spying on the children in the neighborhood, a burglar casing the joint, a rapist seeing if his wife or daughter or other neighbor’s women might be alone and vulnerable. Yes, it is not only a possibility it is a extreme danger that we all face in today’s technically challenging world.

    This issue has got to be addressed. Owners have got to be personally responsible as legally responsible for their actions with these Drones. Buzzing and (invading) others personal property and or space is not okay. Buzzing airport and airplanes is completely out of the question and extremely dangerous and offenders
    should be treated a criminals (which they are). It is not cute, smart or funny, it is very dangerous.

    Most people who purchase these Creatures a very responsible and use them for fun, business and a means of pure relaxation. Drones definitely have a place in our world and can perform genuinely great things, but as always with there are those who abuse privileges.

    Fly Smart
    Michael

    1. why didn’t the guy just simply call the police and let them do their job , and taking the law into their own hands, not smart
      and what if he shot some one ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

  3. I feel the same as he and do the same. Drone operators have no right being that low over anyone’s property. I would have gone further a d smashed it to bits after knocking it down.
    I’d like to get a drone, but would not fly it over neigh orhoods.

  4. Respect for the individual is what this is all about. People have rights to their own privacy. If the guys flying the drone were performing even a non commercial service for a friend, they should have asked/informed the neighbors of their intent. Forewarning them and giving them a chance to object or prepare for the drone being over their property. 5 minutes if time would have saved a lot of trouble.

  5. ” everyone I’ve spoke to, including police, have said they would have done the same thing.” I’m kinda confused why the police arrested you in the first place if they agree with your sentiment.

    Don’t get me wrong, I would’ve done the same thing as you did. But for the police to arrest you for protecting your privacy, with your neighbors as witnesses, it’s a little dumb on their end.

  6. Folks, you might want to check this location on Google Earth. Mr. Merideth was firing a shotgun (presumably 12ga) at a quadcopter in a densely populated subdivision in Louisville. The houses along Earlywood Way are placed very closely together. To claim this is an appropriate – or proportional – use of deadly force is nothing short of bizarre.

    It has been settled law since the Supreme Court’s 1946 US v. Causby ruling that property owners do not own the airspace above their land. This decision must now be revisited because personal UAVs operate at much lower altitudes and have the potential to be more intrusive. The aircraft operator(s) here showed less than sound judgement. All of us operating these aircraft need to exercise some restraint and some respect for others.

  7. I’m with the others on this one. I also would have pulled the trigger. Those who argue that this is just the beginning and we should expect drones to be flying over our houses delivering prescription drugs and Amazon packages hold no sway in my book. If that’s going to happen, let’s legislate that they only occupy airspace over existing motorways (highways, railroads) except when they get to their destination. All others just roaming around snooping ought to be fair game to local marksmen. Heck, with the decline of pheasant populations, this all could become good sport.

  8. I get why the man shot it down but he was wrong. Sorry you can’t take the law into your own hands. He should of called the police if he felt violated. He had no rights to become the police and judge. He will be prosecuted for what he did. As for the drone operators the footage and telemetry should be downloaded and used as evidence in the incident. Bottom line is redneck justice isn’t legal and even if they were hovering over “his airspace” which it isn’t his, he will be prosecuted for firing a weapon into the air endangering others. Furthermore I do fly RC and am a licensed pilot I can go fly in a cessna or fly a helicopter (FULL SCALLE) and hover/fly over your home and take close in photos of whatever I want. Are you going shoot me down? I doubt it. All you people are ignorant from the media reporting on all the negative incidents with “drones” which is a bogus use of the word because lots of these are not real drones. Good Luck.

    1. If you fly below the 1500 foot limit you deserve what ever the FAA does to you.

  9. Drones Don’t Invade, People Invade is akin to Guns Don’t Kill, People Kill. Uncivil people are permitted access to drones, guns, cell phone, automobiles, dogs, etc. Meredith chose to be both the law maker, enforcer, jury, judge and executioner with America’s favorite privacy invader, the gun. Did he call 911? Does he own a camera to document what was happening? Every gun owner must be aware of the “excessive force” laws regarding self-defense with a gun that by default is “deadly force.” My concealed weapons course taught me that. Meredith requires a criminal record to document his reckless endangerment with and illegal use of a firearm. What would his deluded thinking permit him to do if his neighbor invades his privacy with a barking dog, loud party, or bright night spot lights? Drone operators will have to deploy entire fleets to record all the gun owners shooting skyward like frightened and confused tribesmen throwing spears at the first airplanes seen flying overhead.

    I own firearms and follow all local and federal laws. I fly drones and follow all local, FAA, and AMA laws and guidelines.

    None of these laws teach you how to be civil. Uncivil use of a drone does not warrant the uncivil, reckless and illegal use of a gun.

  10. I’m going to quote from someone that responded to the WDRB article.
    …”With respect to Mr. Meridth’s response…” ‘If you cross my sidewalk, there’s gonna be another shooting.'” … You [were] wre willing to kill someone over this toy? Or did you think shooting them in the knee caps should do the trick.
    As you said…”We need to have some laws in place to handle these kind of things.”
    There are,….. that’s why you were arrested. …

    And, just based from the majority of comments that accompanied the article, there seems to be way more irresponsible gun owners than irresponsible drone operators.
    But wait, The drone operators responded with their rebuttal proving the shooters story to possibly be untrue.
    http://www.wdrb.com/story/29670583/update-drone-owner-disputes-suspects-claims-produces-video-claiming-to-show-flight-path

  11. Perhaps the anti-gun lobby can invest in hundreds of mini drones so that all the closet Yosemite Sam’s will come out shooting, get a criminal record and no longer be able to legally own a gun. Wow, my fellow Americans scare the heaven out of me. If you shoot first, am I permitted to return fire to protect my property? NO! But, if the drone operators maintain the same deluded thinking as the gun shooters, perhaps they will start to outfit their machines with guns to protect their airborne property. We seem to be breeding an entire country of sociopaths.

  12. Someone should invent an air operated net shooting gun that will get tangled in the props of the drone, so the people with a drone problem can take it out without breaking the law. Video it first invading your property.

  13. Call me Wally, Thanks for the story update. Who do we believe, the shooter and his version or the actual logged information from the quad copter? It seems like we have a trigger happy guy trying to prove something. What is more dangerous, a quad copter flying around or discharging a firearm in a populated area without knowing what you may hit?

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