Lake County man arrested for shooting Walmart delivery drone

A Lake County man was arrested this week for shooting a Walmart delivery drone as it flew over his house.

Dennis Winn, 72, of Clermont fired one shot from his 9-millimeter handgun into the drone flying deliveries for the Walmart on Johns Lake Road, police said.

The delivery company operating the drones was conducting mock deliveries in Winn’s neighborhood to attract customers. The delivery site was in front of Winn’s residence in the neighborhood cul-de-sac.

Winn saw the drone when he was working on his backyard pool pump. He told deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office he went back into his home and took the gun out of its safe, then aimed at the drone and fired, according to his arrest affidavit.

He told deputies that drones had previously flown over his home and he believed they were surveilling him. He also was aware that Walmart has begun using drones.

But when deputies told him he had shot a Walmart drone, he replied with a surprised “Really?”

The drone was able to fly back to Walmart. Representatives from the drone company were present at the delivery site in front of Winn’s home and were able to identify him to police. The damage to the drone from the shot is $2,500, according to the affidavit.

Winn was arrested Wednesday on charges of shooting or throwing a deadly missile into dwellings, vessels or vehicles, criminal mischief with $1,000 or more in damage and discharging a firearm in public or on residential property.