From delivering food to protecting and monitoring wildlife, drones are used in a variety of innovative ways.
But many Americans have negative feelings about drones.
And a Walmart delivery drone was no match for this Florida man and his 9mm pistol.
Drone use is on the rise in a number of industries.
Photographers use drones to get aerial shots they normally would need an expensive plane or helicopter for.
Farmers have started using drones to help check the health of their fields.
Police, SWAT teams, firemen, and other emergency responders use drones for mapping out the scene of an accident, conducting search-and-rescue operations, and understanding hostage situations.
Major corporations have also started using drones to deliver products to customers.
Walmart uses drones for deliveries in six states across the country.
“Today we’re announcing we’ll be expanding our DroneUp delivery network to 34 sites by the end the year, providing the potential to reach 4 million U.S. households across six states – Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah and Virginia,” Walmart reported. “This provides us the ability to deliver over 1 million packages by drone in a year.”
“Between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., customers will be able to order from tens of thousands of eligible items, such as Tylenol, diapers and hot dog buns, for delivery by air in as little as 30 minutes,” Walmart continued. “For a delivery fee of $3.99, customers can order items totaling up to 10 pounds, so simply put, if it fits safely it flies.”
But one Florida man is not happy about Walmart’s drone deliveries in the Sunshine State.
On Wednesday, the Lake County Sheriff’s Office received a complaint about a damaged Walmart delivery drone.
When police investigated the complaint, they discovered a bullet hole in the payload that the drone was carrying.
“When the drone began to descend, one of the reps said he heard a loud sound consistent with a gun,” MSN reported. “The rep told deputies he saw a 60-year-old white man wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt at the side of the home holding a gun towards the sky and the drone.”
Deputies went to 72-year-old Dennis Winn’s home after witnesses identified him as the drone shooter.
Winn admitted to the police that he shot the drone because he “believed it was watching him.”
“Post-Miranda, the suspect admitted to shooting at the drone once with a 9mm pistol,” the police report read.
The bullet caused over $2,500 worth of damage to the drone.
Police arrested Winn and charged him with criminal mischief, damage over $1,000, and discharging a firearm in public or residential property.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
