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UAV blown out of the sky...

Shooting a UAV is a federal felony. Now, to find a US attorney to prosecute is another story.
https://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/18/32
18 U.S. Code § 32 - Destruction of aircraft or aircraft facilities

It is also felony criminal damage (if over $1000) in my state:

13-1602. Criminal damage; classification

A. A person commits criminal damage by:

1. Recklessly defacing or damaging property of another person.

2. Recklessly tampering with property of another person so as substantially to impair its function or value.

3. Recklessly damaging property of a utility.

4. Recklessly parking any vehicle in such a manner as to deprive livestock of access to the only reasonably available water.

5. Recklessly drawing or inscribing a message, slogan, sign or symbol that is made on any public or private building, structure or surface, except the ground, and that is made without permission of the owner.

6. Intentionally tampering with utility property.

B. Criminal damage is punished as follows:

1. Criminal damage is a class 4 felony if the person recklessly damages property of another in an amount of ten thousand dollars or more.

2. Criminal damage is a class 4 felony if the person recklessly damages the property of a utility in an amount of five thousand dollars or more or if the person intentionally tampers with utility property and the damage causes an imminent safety hazard to any person.

3. Criminal damage is a class 5 felony if the person recklessly damages property of another in an amount of two thousand dollars or more but less than ten thousand dollars or if the damage is inflicted to promote, further or assist any criminal street gang or criminal syndicate with the intent to intimidate and the person is not subject to paragraph 1 or 2 of this subsection.

4. Criminal damage is a class 6 felony if the person recklessly damages property of another in an amount of one thousand dollars or more but less than two thousand dollars.

5. Criminal damage is a class 1 misdemeanor if the person recklessly damages property of another in an amount of more than two hundred fifty dollars but less than one thousand dollars.
 
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Seeing more and more headlines in my area regarding this. Some guy and his 7yo son got to watch a neighbor blow their new Phantom 4 out of the sky:

Father, son caught by surprise as drone shot out of sky


What was really disturbing about that story was how many of the commentators went on about it being a good idea to shoot down any drone that comes near your home. Many with adjectives like "peepers" suggest they think all drone pilots are peeping toms. Do they think it's OK to shoot cell phone owners because the occasional one uses the phones camera to shoot upskirts?

Sad...


Brian
 
I live in Texas where there are FAR more guns than drones. Down here I've heard guys talk like they would be "proud" to shoot down a drone. I never fly over homes but you never know where the nuts will be. I can assure you that if some nut shot our Inspire down while we were working for a client, I'd urge my boss to get the best attorney he could and sue the guys butt for every dime we could get out of him and push for jail time. If you're going to fly around your neighborhood, well, that's a different story. You probably should talk to your neighbors first and determine if you have any crazy enough to start shooting at your drone...then move to a new neighborhood, because who wants to live near someone crazy enough to pull out his gun and start blasting away!
 
Appears the FAA considers them to be aircraft and the US Attorney does not.
Wonder who's right?
 
Seeing more and more headlines in my area regarding this. Some guy and his 7yo son got to watch a neighbor blow their new Phantom 4 out of the sky:

Father, son caught by surprise as drone shot out of sky
What kind of law in for cement do they have. Why was their no charges? Can the law tell where the bullets landed? He'll it's a law you cannot shoot a drown down. Don't the depity know the laws if not he needs to be fired.
 

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