Father who shot down drone hovering over his house as his daughters sunbathed is arrested and charged - sparking new privacy debate

  • William H. Merideth, 47, shot down the $1,800 drone after being alerted by by his two daughters
  • Another neighbor has told how it was hovering over her 16-year-old daughter too 
  • The owner of the drone claims he was only trying to take pictures of a friend's house
  • Merideth has been charged with first-degree criminal mischief and first-degree wanton endangerment for shooting the gadget
  • The FAA is still scrambling to design rules about drone use and control 

By Dailymail.com Reporter

Published: | Updated:

A father has been arrested after shooting down an $1,800 drone that was reportedly hovering over his two sunbathing daughters.

William H. Merideth, 47, from Kentucky was charged with first-degree criminal mischief and first-degree wanton endangerment.

The owner of the drone claims he was only trying to take pictures of a friend's house when Merideth shot at the device, sending it crashing into a field near his yard last weekend.

Scroll down for video 

Unhappy dad: William H. Merideth, pictured with his shotgun, took action after his daughters complained

Unhappy dad: William H. Merideth, pictured with his shotgun, took action after his daughters complained

He shot the $1,800 drone down from out of the sky and it crashed in his backyard in Hillview, Kentucky

He shot the $1,800 drone down from out of the sky and it crashed in his backyard in Hillview, Kentucky

According to the Academy of Model Aeronautics safety code, unmanned aircraft like this drone (file picture) have to be launched at least 100 feet downwind of spectators

According to the Academy of Model Aeronautics safety code, unmanned aircraft like this drone (file picture) have to be launched at least 100 feet downwind of spectators

'Sunday afternoon, the kids – my girls – were out on the back deck, and the neighbors were out in their yard," Merideth told WDRD. 'And they come in and said, "Dad, there’s a drone out here, flying over everybody’s yard." 

'I went and got my shotgun and I said, "I'm not going to do anything unless it's directly over my property,"' he added.

At that time, the drone was hovering over the house of a neighbor, Kim VanMater, who has a 16-year-old daughter who likes to lay out by the pool.

VanMeter said: '(The drone) was just hovering above our house and it stayed for a few moments and then my daughter finally waved and it took off.'

Mug shot: Merideth was apprehended for wanton endangerment and criminal mischief

Mug shot: Merideth was apprehended for wanton endangerment and criminal mischief

It then allegedly flew over the Merideths' garden. 

Mr Merideth said: 'Within a minute or so, here it came. It was hovering over top of my property, and I shot it out of the sky. I didn't shoot across the road, I didn't shoot across my neighbor's fences, I shot directly into the air.'

Four men were about to confront him after the drone was shot out of the sky, but he says they soon changed their minds when they saw his firearms. 

'I had my Glock on me and they started toward me and I told them, "If you cross my sidewalk, there's gonna be another shooting,"' Mr. Merideth told the station.

The police arrested him soon afterwards.  

Meredith, pictured with his wife, said of the drone: 'We need some laws in place to handle these kind of things'

Meredith, pictured with his wife, said of the drone: 'We need some laws in place to handle these kind of things'

The FAA's recommendations include: 'Don't fly near people or stadiums. You could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft'

The FAA's recommendations include: 'Don't fly near people or stadiums. You could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft'

Mr. Merideth said he is looking into what legal action he could take in response to the incident. He said he only fired his weapon because it was hovering over his home.

Merideth added that he was disappointed with the police response.

'They didn't confiscate the drone. They gave the drone back to the individuals,' he said. 

'They didn't take the SIM card out of it…but we've got…five houses here that everyone saw it – they saw what happened, including the neighbors that were sitting in their patio when he flew down low enough to see under the patio.

'Our rights are being trampled daily,' he said. 'Not on a local level only — but on a state and federal level. We need to have some laws in place to handle these kind of things.

'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. We don't know if he was looking for something to steal. To me, it was the same as trespassing.'  

Furious: Mr Merideth said four men tried to confront him after the drone was shot out of the sky

Furious: Mr Merideth said four men tried to confront him after the drone was shot out of the sky

Family protector: Merideth (pictured with his wife) is looking into what legal action he can take

Family protector: Merideth (pictured with his wife) is looking into what legal action he can take

According to the Academy of Model Aeronautics safety code, unmanned aircraft like drones may not be flown in a careless or reckless manner and has to be launched at least 100 feet downwind of spectators.

The FAA says drones cannot fly over buildings -- and that shooting them poses a significant safety hazard.

'An unmanned aircraft hit by gunfire could crash, causing damage to persons or property on the ground, or it could collide with other objects in the air,' said FAA spokesman Les Dorr.

Most watched News videos