72-year-old Dennis Winn, of Florida, was apprehended after he shot a Walmart drone with a 9 mm handgun as it flew over his residence. His actions caused thousands of dollars in damage simply because he believed that it was “watching him.”
Winn, of Clermont, Florida, is said to have confessed to authorities on June 26 that he took a potshot at the drone which had been above his home. The drone was being managed by two people.
A spokesperson for Walmart noted that the flights were a component of a local campaign that had mock deliveries to gain business and interest in the area, which is close to 25 miles west of Orlando.
However, as the crew guided the craft back to the ground, one of the representatives heard a gunshot. When the drone returned back to the store and was inpected, a bullet hole was observed. It resulted in $2,500 worth of damage to the payload system, reports indicate.
When investigators questioned Winn at his residence, he disclosed to authorities that he was, in fact, the gunman. He added that he had observed the drone over his property and believed that its owners were watching him. This was because he tried to get it to go away, but it wouldn’t.
“I fired one round at it. They say I hit it, so I must be a good shot or else it’s not that far away. I’m going to wind up having to find a real good defense lawyer,” Winn was overheard saying on body cam footage.
He was apprehended and charged with shooting at an aircraft, criminal mischief damage over $1,000, and firing a gun in public.
So we have to put up with drones buzzing us in our backyard? This one was innocent but obvious that’s not going to always be the case. There will be far, far more incidents like this as people feel harassed and spied upon, I can guarantee you that.