US man levies ‘spying’ charge on Walmart’s delivery drone; shoots it down

The innovative drone delivery system of Walmart is facing a major challenge in the United States. Gun owners in the country are shooting down packages mid-air, resulting in a substantial loss for the company.

Last month, a Walmart delivery drone was shot by a man in Florida.

The American retail giant had partnered with Wing, a drone delivery startup, to deliver packages same-day. But gun owners in the country are posing a major risk to this plan.

A bullet hole was discovered in payload the drone was carrying

According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office , the Florida man, Dennis Winn, admitted to shooting down a Walmart drone with a 9-millimeter handgun in late June.

A bullet hole was discovered in the payload the drone was carrying. Witnesses identified Winn and directed deputies to his residence, the location of the incident.

“He was then taken into custody and charged with Shooting at an aircraft, Criminal mischief damage over $1,000, and Discharging a firearm in public or residential property,” informed the authorities through a Facebook post.

Dennis thought drone was spying on him

Dennis told the authorities that he thought the drone was spying on him, so he went inside, grabbed his pistol, and fired a single shot at the drone.

Residents have previously raised concerns about the delivery drones flying over private properties.

Winn’s attorney, Scott Herman, told Fortune that the drone was hovering directly above his client’s property for an extended period of time at a low altitude with no markings that suggested it belonged to Walmart. He believes additional evidence will show his client was acting “legally and lawfully” on his property.

Reports have claimed that shooting down drones is becoming quite common in the US.

Shooting at any aircraft is charged as a felony

However, according to Federal Aviation Administration rules, any shots fired at drones will be treated with the same weight as if you’d opened fire on a Boeing full of passengers. Shooting at any aircraft is charged as a felony with up to 20 years in prison as the recommended penalty, reported Jalopnik .

In the United States, Walmart’s drone delivery is currently available in select locations. Thousands of eligible Walmart items, such as meals, groceries, household supplies, and over-the-counter medicines, are delivered using drones .

Drone deliveries are overseen by trained personnel

According to the company , items can be delivered in as fast as 30 minutes (from order to launch to delivery). Product weight, size limitations & other restrictions apply on drone deliveries, which are made to a predetermined location of your home, such as the front or backyard or driveway.

Drone deliveries, which can be executed in a wide range of weather conditions, are overseen by trained personnel who monitor the weather and can stop service if they determine it is no longer safe to fly.