A Bullitt County man has been arrested after he shot down a drone flying over his property — but he’s not sorry he did it.
William Merideth believed the drone’s appearance in his backyard to be an invasion of privacy, akin to trespassing. So he took a shotgun and fired three rounds into the aircraft, which crashed into a nearby field.
Hillview Police arrested Merideth on Sunday night after they were called to his home about a complaint about a firearm.
Police say Merideth told them he had shot down a drone that was flying over his house.
Merideth was arrested and charged with first degree criminal mischief and first degree wanton endangerment. He was booked into the Bullitt County Detention Center, and released on Monday.
The owner of the drone claimed he was flying it to get pictures of a friend’s house and that the device cost $1,800.
WDRB News spoke with Merideth, who said his daughters saw the drone flying nearby.
Meredith observed a drone flying 10 feet off of the ground in his neighbor’s yard. The man grabbed his shotgun and waited to see if the drone would fly over his backyard property.
Then the drone flew over Merideth’s backyard. He said, “It was hovering over top of my property, and I shot it out of the sky.”
Merideth’s neighbors saw the drone, too.
“It was just hovering above our house and it stayed for a few moments and then she finally waved and it took off,” said neighbor Kim VanMeter.
VanMeter’s teenage daughter saw the drone and thought it was creepy. “I just think you should have privacy in your own backyard,” she said.
The drone’s owners initially confronted Merideth, but backed off. “I happened to be armed, so that changed their minds,” Merideth said.
A short time later, the police arrived and Merideth was unhappy with the police’s response. The officers gave the damaged drone to the men.
The FAA has guidelines for recreational drone use, which include always flying them within sight and clear of people and obstacles.
Merideth hasn’t apologized for what he did. “You know, when you’re in your own property, within a six-foot privacy fence, you have the expectation of privacy,” he said. “We don’t know if he was looking at the girls….To me, it was the same as trespassing.
Merideth is considering legal action against the owners of the drone.
