Man Arrested and Charged After Allegedly Shooting Down a Camera Drone with a Shotgun

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A New Jersey resident was arrested last Friday after allegedly firing a shotgun at and successfully hitting a drone that was taking photographs of a nearby home undergoing some renovations.

According to the local NBC station, the owner of the drone said he was flying it around the home capturing photographs when he heard several gunshots and immediately lost control of the drone.

Upon retrieving his disabled drone, the owner recognized a number of holes in the vehicle that resembled the pellets you’d see after a shotgun blast, and so he called the police and showed them where he thought the blast came from.

This brought the police to the home of 32-year-old Russel J. Percenti, where they found the shotgun allegedly used to shoot down the drone, placed him under arrest and charged him with possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and criminal mischief.

The police haven’t revealed why Percenti shot down the drone — although privacy concerns immediately come to mind — but in addition to the $2,500 bail he had to pay, the drone owner is well within his rights to seek compensation from Percenti for the damaged drone and camera.

(via Digital Trends)


Image credits: XAircraft by aleXwire

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