Man Arrested For Shooting Down Drone Flying Over Sunbathing Daughters
By Barclay August 3, 2015
The camera-equipped machine reportedly flew over his daughters who were sunbathing in the backyard as well as a neighbor’s 16-year old daughter who was sunbathing as well.
William H. Merideth is anything but apologetic. Currently he is claiming that privacy and private property rights were violated by the four men who flew the drone over multiple houses in his neighborhood on Sunday, reports WDRB News.
However, William H. Merideth was arrested and charged with 1st degree criminal mischief and 1st degree wanton endangerment. He was released a day later.
In an interview conducted by the Louisville Kentucky news group, Merideth claims that the drone was trespassing. “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 in their back yard.” He then added, “I went and got my shotgun and I said, ‘I’m not going to do anything unless it’s directly over my property.’”
After the drone crossed above Merideth’s property, he pulled out a shotgun and fired directly into the air, destroying the drone. The drone crashed in an empty field.
Once the drone had been shot down, the owners soon confronted Merideth.
“They asked me, ‘Are you the S-O-B that shot my drone?’ and I said, ‘Yes I am,’” Merideth claims. “I had my .40 caliber Glock on me and they started toward me and I told them, ‘If you cross my sidewalk, there’s gonna be another shooting.’”