Father, Son Caught By Surprise As Drone Shot Out Of Sky

Megalith

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Lawyer: “…if you see something you think is improper, the best approach is to call the police or the FAA, not to take your shotgun and take matters into your own hands.”

A Rutherford County man flying a new drone with his 7-year-old son was caught by surprise when someone shot it down. Gary Sammons told News 2 he was flying the DJ I Phantom 4 Drone near his Rutherford County home last Saturday when the incident occurred. Sammons said his son was watching the drone’s path on an iPad and asked him who people on the ground were. As he moved the drone closer and hovered, that’s when someone at a neighbor’s home fired several shots.
 
To be fair, the first time I saw a drone flying... it was several hundred feet up in the air passing over.

I heard it before I saw it.

First thing I thought was... what's that annoying sound?

Then we saw the drone... and my friend and I both agreed, it was very annoying.

He even has drone parts... waiting to build his own, and now that he realizes how annoying they are when they're that far away... he won't be flying it near people.

If someone flew one near me in my yard, I'd shoot it down if I had a gun too.
 
If someone flew one near me in my yard, I'd shoot it down if I had a gun too.

Then you too could also break the law and go to jail!

I don't know where everyone on these forums get's the idea that it's OK to destroy someones personal property. If someone is racing a loud gas powered RC car in front of your house in the street and it annoys you is it OK for you to go outside and stomped it to pieces? Same fucking thing.

"Duuuurrrr Imma go shoot that daggum drone with my boomstick because it annoys my small brain derp 'MURICA!"

Just because something annoys you doesn't mean you get to blow it up. Next time some hick that likes shooting drones down starts playing his music loudly while he's drunk off his ass I guess the appropriate thing to do using [H]ardLogic would to go to his house and kick his speakers in then to ask them kindly to turn the volume down.
 
On the street is not the same as hovering over your property.

Most people with Nitro RC cars are smart enough not to be driving them in the street.

Privacy is the concern with drones... usually they have a camera attached... which means people are seeing things they have no business seeing.

Such as people sunbathing in their yard...
 
On the street is not the same as hovering over your property.

Most people with Nitro RC cars are smart enough not to be driving them in the street.

Privacy is the concern with drones... usually they have a camera attached... which means people are seeing things they have no business seeing.

Such as people sunbathing in their yard...

Hey man, believe and think what you want. Just don't act surprised when you get arrested.
 
People need to learn to stop flying them near people. Until someone can figure out how to make them less noisy this will continue to be an issue. There's probably less destructive ways to bring one down though.
 
People need to learn to stop flying them near people. Until someone can figure out how to make them less noisy this will continue to be an issue. There's probably less destructive ways to bring one down though.

People need to stop being insane psychopaths and think they're being spied on

If the government wanted to spy on you with a drone you would never see it as it would be over 15k+ feet in the air
 
Then you too could also break the law and go to jail!

I don't know where everyone on these forums get's the idea that it's OK to destroy someones personal property just because it's on your private property. If someone is racing a loud gas powered RC car in your backyard on your doorstep with a camera mounted on a pole poking up into the window and it annoys you is it OK for you to go outside and stomped it to pieces? Same fucking thing.

"Duuuurrrr Imma go shoot that daggum drone with my boomstick because it annoys my small brain derp 'MURICA!"

Just because something annoys you doesn't mean you get to blow it up. Next time some hick that likes shooting drones down starts playing his music loudly while he's drunk off his ass I guess the appropriate thing to do using [H]ardLogic would to go to his house and kick his speakers in then to ask them kindly to turn the volume down.

Made it more accurate.
 
Drone users should be put into same category as glassholes with google glass
Exactly, If I see one near me or my property I would shoot it down as well! You wanna play with your drone go to the park or the woods. Droneholes and Glassholes have no business flying around the neighborhood or over people. They do that shit on purpose and it pisses people off.
 
I dont get why do these drone operators aggro people on purpose and then cry when their shit gets destroyed?
 
I dont get why do these drone operators aggro people on purpose and then cry when their shit gets destroyed?

To be fair

No one likes their stuff destroyed.

The flip side is no one wants a drone with a camera, in the hands of God knows what pervert, flying and taking pictures over their property either.

And some point it just breaks... usually the drone... millions of little pieces....
 
Lol at people in this thread not getting used to technology, hey guys guess what? Your privacy is no longer relevant in this age. ;)
 
Exactly, If I see one near me or my property I would shoot it down as well! You wanna play with your drone go to the park or the woods. Droneholes and Glassholes have no business flying around the neighborhood or over people. They do that shit on purpose and it pisses people off.

Yeah we fly them just to upset everyone on purpose. It couldn't be that we enjoy the FLYING part of it for our own reasons. Wow.
 
Few hundred feet over the property taking pano shots or something, yeah, sure.... Take your pictures. I live in the woods on 40 acres. You fly that thing at a level to see into my house I'm gonna shoot it down. I'll take my chances in my back country courts.
 
Those Phantom drones aren't cheap...I'd sue the jackass who shot it. Might make someone think twice before doing so in the future. Is your perceived violation of privacy worth $1,400? Okay, pay up.

BTW, there is no mention from the article that the drone was anywhere near the guy's property.
 
To be fair, the first time I saw a drone flying... it was several hundred feet up in the air passing over.

I heard it before I saw it.

First thing I thought was... what's that annoying sound?

Then we saw the drone... and my friend and I both agreed, it was very annoying.

He even has drone parts... waiting to build his own, and now that he realizes how annoying they are when they're that far away... he won't be flying it near people.

If someone flew one near me in my yard, I'd shoot it down if I had a gun too.
Several hundred feet (200'-300') up? You're not going to hear a phantom 3/4 to the point that it would be annoying. With a mild wind or typical wildlife, you're not going to hear it at all.

Now, no one should fly 'near you in your yard', but even if they did why do you think shooting is an appropriate first response, before things like asking your neighbor not to do it anymore?

Do you also go out and shoot your neighbor's lawnmowers? Motorcycles? How about that guy with the muscle car down the street...couple rifle rounds through the radiator ought to fix that problem!

The idiocy of "it makes noise, must shoot" is just astounding.
 
People are just saying "nope" to multirotors. Add to that, that people are getting away with shooting them down, and you have a bunch of shot up drones.

I loved my Phantom3, gave it away to a nephew when I got bored. (I like to fly, not take pictures, it is great at the latter but is relatively slow and cumbersome to fly) But I did keep it the hell away from people, and other peoples private property when using it, same as I would any of the other R/C aircraft I own. They are camera platforms, and they are being used in a way R/C aircraft were not really used in b4, often by people that really don't know what they are doing with them. This is bringing them into conflict with people. Privacy may be dead, but it seems some people are more than willing to fight for it.

I don't think summarily shooting them down on sight is the answer, (I would warn them at least once, call the police the next time, and use a magnetron to bring it down the third time), but I could see why it would happen on the first go around as well. I do believe fear of getting their toy shot down will likely make multi rotor operators more conscientious of where, and how they are flying, and at whom they are pointing their camera platforms. Likewise, it will prolly take a few well publicized convictions for shooting them down to reduce the AA fire.
 
Privacy laws are still in effect, drones or not :)

Your privacy ends when your ceiling does. My drone may not fly but neither will your unlawful discharge of a firearm charges.

Several hundred feet (200'-300') up? You're not going to hear a phantom 3/4 to the point that it would be annoying. With a mild wind or typical wildlife, you're not going to hear it at all.

Now, no one should fly 'near you in your yard', but even if they did why do you think shooting is an appropriate first response, before things like asking your neighbor not to do it anymore?

Do you also go out and shoot your neighbor's lawnmowers? Motorcycles? How about that guy with the muscle car down the street...couple rifle rounds through the radiator ought to fix that problem!

The idiocy of "it makes noise, must shoot" is just astounding.

Notice where most of these drone shootings takes place. Not exactly well reformed areas.
 
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People need to stop being insane psychopaths and think they're being spied on

If the government wanted to spy on you with a drone you would never see it as it would be over 15k+ feet in the air

I'm not afraid of the government, just my neighbors trying to get pictures of my junk. They are always out there with their binoculars, cameras with telescopic lenses and drones trying to take pictures of my junk to sell to their alien contacts. I won't go down like that... not again.
 
I don't know all the details of every story of a drone being shot down. However, there are plenty of public areas, or personal private property to fly a drone and have fun. As long as they are not getting so low that people start wondering if they are going to get a hair cut. That said, there is also a reason drones are banned at national parks and various places. Irresponsible operators mainly.

Few hundred feet over the property taking pano shots or something, yeah, sure.... Take your pictures. I live in the woods on 40 acres. You fly that thing at a level to see into my house I'm gonna shoot it down. I'll take my chances in my back country courts.

I live pretty nicely in the woods as well, I would wonder why a drone is on my property if I seen one.
 
Your privacy ends when your ceiling does. My drone may not fly but neither will your unlawful discharge of a firearm charges.



Notice where most of these drone shootings takes place. Not exactly well reformed areas.

Actually, it seems right now, that privacy ends just outside of the range of a shotgun. ;)

You multi rotor operators might find my still, or marijuana garden. I gots ta puta stop ta dat.:p
 
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Hey man, believe and think what you want. Just don't act surprised when you get arrested.

"News 2 chose not to identify the man who shot at the drone in the most recent incident in Murfreesboro since he was not charged with a crime. The responding deputy could not identify a law that had been broken."
 
"News 2 chose not to identify the man who shot at the drone in the most recent incident in Murfreesboro since he was not charged with a crime. The responding deputy could not identify a law that had been broken."

Shoot a drone in a major city, see how many laws you break.
 
seems to be a lot of drones flying downtown NY today by private citizens.....

Be real
 
Why do you need an actual gun? I am sure a paintball marker is plenty enough to bring one down and doesn't bring the issues a firearm would. Take out one toy with another toy.
 
"News 2 chose not to identify the man who shot at the drone in the most recent incident in Murfreesboro since he was not charged with a crime. The responding deputy could not identify a law that had been broken."
wow must be hard to find high school graduates to be deputies there.

Deputy dumbass
discharge of a firearm within city limits
destruction of property
both are fine able and arrestable or ticketable whereas the drone operators have nothing they can be charged with except maybe trespass or invasion of privacy...
 
Too bad the drone survived. Oh well, not every story has a happy ending.
if somebody shoots at my drone im straight beat there ass
Hey, internet tough guy. Always let your brain do your thinking or at least run things by it first instead of just your dick. It will save your live. As pointed out already, the shooter is armed and the law will definitely be on his side when both of you decide to measure whose dick is longer. By the way, my money is on the other guy as he has proven he has no performance anxieties and has no problem discharging his load wherever he feels like it.

there =/ their
 
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The article is not great on detail, so all we have about the location of the drone when it was shot at is that it was "near [the owner's] Rutherford County home". Since the shooter was not arrested for firing a gun within city limits, he was quite probably not within any city limits.

The article has a lot of misleading clickbait in it. Headline: "Father, son caught by surprise as drone shot out of sky". End of first sentence: "...caught by surprise when someone shot it down." Buried in the middle of the article: "Despite its damaged propeller, Sammons was able to fly the drone safely back home."
 
"News 2 chose not to identify the man who shot at the drone in the most recent incident in Murfreesboro since he was not charged with a crime. The responding deputy could not identify a law that had been broken."

and from the same article....
“It’s a federal offense to shoot down an aircraft and the FAA has deemed the drone an aircraft,” he said.

so which is it?
 
I'm not afraid of the government, just my neighbors trying to get pictures of my junk. They are always out there with their binoculars, cameras with telescopic lenses and drones trying to take pictures of my junk to sell to their alien contacts. I won't go down like that... not again.

Sorry to hear it takes it binoculars and telescopes to see your junk. I admire your bravery and will to live, such a trooper!

<in jest>
 
The article is not great on detail, so all we have about the location of the drone when it was shot at is that it was "near [the owner's] Rutherford County home". Since the shooter was not arrested for firing a gun within city limits, he was quite probably not within any city limits.

People miss that. Even in the city. I live in a city where the distinction between city and county is a street. In the city they can't discharge a BB gun. But since others live on the other side of the street, they can shoot the squirrels and cats with no issue.

Many people will never get it.
 
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People need to stop being insane psychopaths and think they're being spied on

If the government wanted to spy on you with a drone you would never see it as it would be over 15k+ feet in the air
Well with most drones having video feeds, if someone starts flying one on my property, near my windows, hovering over my daughter or wife...yah, Id shoot it down too, and use the wreckage to beat in the skull of the owner.
 
"News 2 chose not to identify the man who shot at the drone in the most recent incident in Murfreesboro since he was not charged with a crime. The responding deputy could not identify a law that had been broken."

Destruction of private property. If the deputy couldn't find a crime with what happened he needs to be fired.
 
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