recent news reports about drone sightings have created a lot of buzz around the country. In recent weeks, federal officials have been trying to quiet the talk by explaining the drones as normal commercial traffic and mistaken identification of airplanes.
The FBI and DHS addressed the New Jersey sightings with a joint statement:
“We have no evidence at this time that the reported drone sightings pose a national security or public safety threat or have a foreign nexus.
We take seriously the threat that can be posed by unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), which is why law enforcement and other agencies continue to support New Jersey and investigate the reports. To be clear, they have uncovered no such malicious activity or intent at this stage. While there is no known malicious activity occurring in New Jersey, the reported sightings there do, however, highlight the insufficiency of current authorities.”
There have been a few reports of drone sightings in the Evansville area, leading to conversations that include the question, “Can’t we just shoot them down?”
The simple answer is no. According to the FAA, “Shooting at an unmanned aircraft could result in a civil penalty from the FAA and/or criminal charges from federal, state, or local law enforcement.”
There are some dangers associated with shooting down drones. If you do hit it there is a chance that the drone could hit a person and cause bodily injury. The odds are that eben a great shot is unlikely to actually hit the small moving target, leaving that bullet to potentially hit a person.
At a recent Christmas drone lighting display in Orlando, several of the drones malfunctioned and dropped out of the sky. A child was hospitalized because of his injuries.
If you see a drone being used recklessly or for illegal purposes, contact your local law enforcement.
If you encounter one of these drone clusters sparking public interest, consider taking a photo or video and sharing it with your local news outlet.
