Judge sides with man who shot down drone

By Anna Giaritelli, Anna Giaritelli

Published December 20, 2015

A Kentucky judge has dismissed all charges against a man who shot down a drone he claimed was harassing his family.

William Merideth, a resident of Hillview, Ky., was arrested last July on charges of wanton endangerment and criminal mischief after pulling a shotgun on a drone he alleged had been spying on his 16-year-old daughter sunbathing in the backyard.

"I was in my right to protect my family and my property," Merideth told the judge in Monday's hearing, according to WDRB.com in Kentucky.

But the owner of the drone, David Boggs, claimed flight data proves the drone was flying higher than Merideth had asserted and was not intruding on his family.