A Florida man is currently facing several charges, including a felony charge, for allegedly shooting a Walmart delivery drone that he claimed was trespassing over his property.
The shooting took place in Clermont, located approximately 26 miles west of Orlando.
Florida Man Shoots Walmart Delivery Drone
The Lake County Sheriff's Office was notified of the incident on Wednesday, June 26, according to a statement posted on their Facebook page. Based on the information provided by the caller, it has been reported that a bullet hole has been discovered in the payload being transported by the drone.
Authorities were led to 72-year-old Dennis Winn by witnesses, who stated that he had interviewed with officials and confessed to firing a single shot at the drone using a 9 mm pistol, according to the sheriff's office.
According to officials, DroneUp, a recently established drone delivery service in collaboration with Walmart, informed authorities that they had a team of two individuals in a nearby neighborhood conducting simulated deliveries as part of their promotional efforts.
The crew arrived at the delivery point outside Dennis Winn's residence. Upon the drone's arrival, an individual, later identified as Winn, allegedly brandished a firearm towards the drone, according to a statement from a DroneUp employee.
Upon hearing a loud noise, the crew swiftly made their way to the van and quickly departed for Walmart. The damaged drone also made its way back to the store.
During their inspection, the crew noticed a bullet hole in the drone's payload system and determined that the damage would cost approximately $2,500 to repair.
Deputies observed metal shavings that appeared to be consistent with the fragmentation of a bullet. The individual from DroneUp informed the authorities that the drone will be out of commission for an extended period, Freight Waves reported.
When questioned by a deputy at his residence, Winn claimed that the drone had flown over his house, prompting him to take action by firing his 9 mm handgun. Winn informed the deputy that he had previous encounters with drones flying over his residence and held the belief that they were conducting surveillance on him.
The deputy stated that Winn expressed disbelief upon being informed that he had shot a Walmart drone.
The deputy informed Winn that the damages totaled $10,000, as he had been previously advised. Winn expressed to the deputy his desire to claim the drone as his personal property if he were required to pay $10,000.
The deputy informed Winn that the bullet he fired had passed over multiple homes, and he admitted that his behavior was careless. According to the deputy's affidavit, officers discovered a small child playing in the cul-de-sac near Winn's residence upon their arrival at the scene.
Winn has been arrested and is facing multiple charges, including shooting or throwing deadly missiles into dwellings, vessels or vehicles, criminal mischief causing significant damage, and discharging a firearm in a public or residential area.
Shooting at an aircraft is considered a serious crime in the state of Florida. Winn was released on Thursday after posting a bond of $13,500.
As per Florida law, the operation of drones is prohibited over or in close proximity to "critical infrastructure facilities," while they are allowed to fly over residential neighborhoods.
However, local governments have the power to create and enforce ordinances regarding various illegal activities associated with the use of drones, such as nuisances, voyeurism, harassment, reckless endangerment, and property damage.
The representative from DroneUp informed Lake County deputies that DroneUp operates as a drone delivery service in accordance with Florida statute and is regulated by Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations, which pertains to aeronautics and space.
Walmart Inc. has acknowledged the incident and directed inquiries to Lake County law enforcement, according to a spokesperson.
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Walmart's Delivery Drones
In 2021, Walmart made an exciting announcement about the introduction of drone delivery. By the following year, the retail giant had successfully launched drone delivery services in specific markets across Texas, Arizona, and Florida.
Walmart partnered with DroneUp, a drone delivery company that caters to various industries including fast food restaurants like Chick-fil-A and Wendy's, as well as health clinics, to facilitate its deliveries.
Earlier this year, Walmart made an exciting announcement about expanding its services to include on-demand drone delivery companies Wing and Zipline.
The company announced its intention to expand drone delivery services to include an additional 1.8 million homes in the Dallas Fort-Worth area, USA Today reported.
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