A MAN IN KENTUCKY IS FACING CRIMINAL CHARGES AFTER HE
SHOT DOWN A DRONE THAT WAS HOVERING ABOVE HIS OWN YARD.
HE HAD A TEENAGE DAUGHTER WHO WAS IN THE BACKYARD
SUNBATHING AT THE TIME, AND APPARENTLY THERE WERE OTHER
NEIGHBORS THAT WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THE DRONE BECAUSE IT
WAS ALSO HOVERING ABOVE THEIR PROPERTY.
WILLIAM MEREDITH OF KENTUCKY THOUGHT THAT HE WOULD TAKE
MATTERS INTO HIS OWN HANDS.
HE GRABBED HIS RIFLE, AND HE SHOT IT DOWN.
"THE DRONE WAS HOVERING ABOVE THE HOUSE, AND IT STAYED FOR A
FEW MOMENTS AND THEN MY DAUGHTER FINALLY WAVED AND IT TOOK OFF."
THAT IS ACCORDING TO ONE NEIGHBOR.
"I HAD MY GLOCK ON ME AND THEY STARTED WITH ME AND I TOLD
THEM, IF YOU CROSS TO MY SIDE ñ"
SO THEY DECIDED CONFRONTING HIM WITH A BAD IDEA.
SO ITíS INTERESTING BECAUSE HE WAS INITIALLY LIKE, I'M NOT
GOING TO DO A THING ABOUT IT UNLESS IT COMES ON TO MY PROPERTY.
THIS IS A PRIVACY ISSUE, HE HAS A FENCE PUT UP FOR A REASON.
WHY SHOULD SOMEONE WHO OWNS A DRONE HAVE THE ABILITY TO
PEEK INTO HIS PRIVATE PROPERTY.
I THINK HE HAS AN INTERESTING
POINT, ALTHOUGH SHOOTING DOWN A DRONE COULD BE VERY DANGEROUS.
YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS GOING TO LAND, OR CRASH.
ALSO, SHOOTING BULLETS INTO THE AIR IS PROBABLY A BAD IDEA.
>> NOT IDEAL.
>> BUT IT DOES BRING UP A FASCINATING DEBATE ABOUT
SURVEILLANCE, PRIVACY, AND WHAT HE SHOULD HAVE DONE IN A
SITUATION LIKE THAT.
I WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU, IF I HAD A YOUNG DAUGHTERS
SUNBATHING IN THE BACKYARD, AND THERE IS THIS CREEPY DRONE
HOVERING ABOVE HER, I'M PROBABLY GOING TO WANT TO TAKE ACTION.
>> THIS IS TWOFOLD FOR ME.
WHEN I FIRST READ IT, IT WAS, HERE'S IN OTHER
TRIGGER-HAPPY AMERICAN.
WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OUT A GUN OUT AND SHOOT SOMETHING OUT
OF THE SKY.
THAT GOT TO ME.
THE SECOND THING WAS, I STARTED TO GO DOWN THIS RABBIT HOLE
AROUND THE RULES AND REGULATIONS AROUND CIVILIAN DRONES, AND
LIKE YOU JUST STARTED TO SAY, IT IS REALLY FASCINATING
BECAUSE I WOULD DEFINITELY WANT TO ñ I THINK MY MIC FELL -
>> THE REGULATION IS A HOT MESS.
THEY DON'T REALLY KNOW RIGHT
NOW WHAT TO DO ABOUT THE DRONE
SITUATION.
THEY ARE PROLIFERATING AT SUCH A RAPID
RATE.
IT IS THE BRAND-NEW TOY, IT CAN BE REALLY FUN AND YOU CAN
SHOOT SOME AMAZING FOOTAGE, BUT YOU CAN ALSO TOTALLY ñ
>> INVADE SOMEBODY'S PRIVACY.
>> YEAH, TOTALLY.
THERE ARE VIDEOS ON YOUTUBE OF PEOPLE
ATTACHING GUNS TO THEM.
>> WEAPONIZING IT TAKES IT TO ANOTHER LEVEL.
JUST THE THOUGHT
OF USING IT FOR SURVEILLANCE IS SCARY, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU
HAVE THE QUESTION OF PRIVATE PROPERTY, AND WHETHER OR NOT THE
DRONE CROSSES A LINE.
IN THIS CASE, I FEEL LIKE THE DRONE
CROSSES A LINE.
>> HIS PROPERTY LINE.
>> YEAH, EXACTLY.
YOU SHOULD BE COMFORTABLE IN YOUR YARD, ESPECIALLY IF
YOU HAVE A FENCE PUT THERE FOR PRIVACY REASONS.
THE DRONE DEBATE IS VERY SIMILAR TO ALL OTHER TECHNOLOGY
DEBATES, WHERE THE TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES FASTER THAN WHAT
POLITICIANS CAN DO TO REGULATE.
THERE ARE NOT ENOUGH POLICY REGULATIONS ABOUT CIVILIAN
DRONES SO THAT THINGS LIKE THIS COULD BE AVOIDED.
THERE ARE SOME INDICATIONS THAT IT IS NOT SUPPOSED TO BE
FLOWN OVER BUILDINGS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THE PERSON
USING THE DRONE BROKE ANY LAWS, AND I GUESS THERE HAS TO BE
AN INVESTIGATION, BUT THERE SHOULD BE SOME SORT OF LAW
THAT PREVENTS THAT FROM HAPPENING.
YOU SHOULD NOT BE ABLE TO USE THE SURVEILLANCE DRONES TO
PEEK INTO SOMEONE'S YARD.
>>AGREED, BUT I ALSO DON'T THINK THAT YOU SHOULD SHOOT THEM DOWN.
>> I AGREE.
>> SO IT IS TWOFOLD FOR ME.
I DON'T WANT THIS OVER MY YARD, I'M PROTECTING MY CHILDREN
AND MY SPACE, BUT TO PULL OUT A GUN, THAT CANNOT BE.
>> THE MAN IS IN JAIL, HE IS ALREADY SCREWED IN THAT WAY.
I THINK HE MAY BECOME A FOLK HERO BECAUSE HE WAS PROTECTING HIS
FAMILY, AND I AGREE, I GET WHY HE WAS FREAKED OUT, BUT OF
COURSE US DOING SOMETHING WITH FIREARMS IS SOMETHING THAT SEEMS
TO HAPPEN IN AMERICA.
IF THAT DRONE WAS FLYING AROUND IN
ANOTHER COUNTRY THAT DOES NOT HAVE A GUN CONTROL ISSUE, THEN
POSSIBLY IT WOULD HAVE BEEN A CONVERSATION.
SPEAKING OF
CONVERSATIONS, THE PEOPLE WHO OWN THIS DRONE, THEY SAID THEY
WERE ALLEGEDLY TAKING PHOTOS OF A FRIEND'S HOUSEÖ
TALK TO PEOPLE.
KNOCK ON THEIR DOOR, SAY, HEY WE ARE DOING THIS THING
WITH THIS DRONE, I DON'T WANT TO FREAK YOU OUT.
CAN WE ALL JUST
TALK TO EACH OTHER?
>> IF YOU WOULD HAVE JUST HAD A CONVERSATION WITH THEM, YOU
COULD HAVE AVOIDED THIS.
THE FACT THAT YOU DID NOT
COMMUNICATE MAKES IT LOOK SNEAKY.
>> I SHOULD ALSO NOTE, ANOTHER POINT OF THIS IS GOOGLE
SATELLITE VIEW.
OFTEN TIMES YOU CAN PEEK INTO PEOPLE'S YARDS DOING THAT.
THAT WORRIES ME AS WELL.
THE PRIVACY DEBATE IS REALLY IMPORTANT, AND THERE ARE FINE
LINES THAT I FEEL LIKE ARE BEING CROSSED ON A REGULAR BASIS.
EVEN THOUGH THE EXECUTION OF WHAT HE DID WAS NOT
APPROPRIATE, I THINK HIS HEART IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE AND I
ULTIMATELY AGREE WITH HIM.
HE SAYS, ìOUR RIGHTS ARE BEING TRAMPLED DAILY, NOT ON A
LOCAL LEVEL, BUT ON A STATE AND FEDERAL LEVEL.
WE NEED TO HAVE SOME LAWS IN PLACE TO HANDLE THESE THINGS.
WHEN YOU ARE IN YOUR OWN PROPERTY, WITHIN A SIX FOOT
PRIVACY FENCE, YOU HAVE THE EXPECTATION OF PRIVACY.
WE DON'T KNOW IF HE WAS LOOKING AT GIRLS, WE DON'T KNOW IF
HE WAS LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO STEAL.
TO ME, IT WAS THE SAME AS TRESPASSING.î
DO NOT SHOOT DOWN THE DRONE, YOU COULD HURT SOMEONE, OR
YOURSELF, BUT AT THE SAME TIME I AM ABSOLUTELY WITH HIM WHEN
IT COMES TO UPDATING LAWS TO DEAL WITH CIVILIAN DRONES.
>> IT WAS KIND OF BADASS.
I DON'T WANT TO ROMANTICIZE IT, BUT SOMETHING FLIES OVER YOUR
YARD AND YOU TAKE IT OUT, OKAY.
>> WE HAVE A POLL UP
"A MAN WAS ARRESTED FOR SHOOTING A DRONE HOVERING OVER HIS
SUNBATHING DAUGHTERS.
IS IT EVER OKAY TO DEMOLISH DRONES THAT ARE INVADING
PRIVACY?î
AN ASTOUNDING NINETY-ONE PERCENT SAY YES IT IS OKAY.
>> THAT IS MISLEADING.
OF COURSE, IF SOMEONE IS GOING AFTER YOUR SUNBATHING
DAUGHTER, OF COURSE YOU ARE GOING TO SHOOT IT DOWN.
ANYWAY.
>> YOU GUYS NOW KNOW THE FACTS OF THE STORY, THE POLL IS
UP, YOU CAN CHIME IN AND VOTE.
I'M VERY CURIOUS TO SEE HOW THE POLL CHANGES BASED ON THE DETAILS.