A Florida Man Shot A Wal-Mart Drone Out Of The Sky And Ignited A Firestorm Debate Of Privacy vs. Regulation

BizPacReview - A 72-year-old Lake County, Florida man is being hailed online as a “legend” for not only owning up to firing a shot at a Walmart delivery drone but for his reaction to being placed in cuffs.

However, Dennis Winn found himself in some potentially big trouble over the summer after reacting to what he believed was an invasion of privacy.

As seen in the video clip below, Winn admitted to a responding officer that he fired a single shot from a 9mm handgun at a drone that had been hovering over his house for a couple of minutes.

“Now they say I hit it, so I must be a good shot,” he said.

Winn told police he had been dealing with drones flying over his home and believed it was watching him, according to WOFL.

Making no attempt to hide his actions, Winn cemented his legendary status when he was placed in handcuffs and joked with the officer, “I can’t breathe, I can’t breathe!”

He was arrested and charged with shooting at an aircraft, discharging a firearm in a residential area, and criminal mischief.

“The FAA classifies drones as aircraft, making shooting at them a federal offense. This can lead to severe penalties, including fines and imprisonment,” the law firm of Douglas G. Jackson said of the incident. “In addition to federal charges, Florida’s state laws impose strict penalties for discharging firearms recklessly. Winn’s actions violated these laws, exposing him to criminal charges and potential civil liability, as Walmart could seek compensation for the damages.”

I never understood the obsession of those women you see who write the love letters to cold-blooded killers and hardened criminals in prison. Until now. 

I think I'm in love with this felon. 

And I completely sympathize with him. 

I know I sound like a broken record, for saying/writing this all the time, but I always see stuff like this- in this case, little machines wizzing around in the air being remote controlled by people miles away, delivering packages that people ordered on computers an hour ago- I always think, "what would my grandfather think if he were alive today". 

And rhetorically, I know the answer.

After his head exploded, he say he wants off this ride. I think many of us do. 

For as great as the convenience of living in the year 2024 affords us, as Dennis Winn has so nobly reminded us, it begs the question- at what cost?

Sure you can get a box of tampons dropped at your doorstep from Wal Mart in under an hour via a drone. But do we really want a sky full of these things humming all over the place? I know I don't. And that's before you even consider the insane high definition cameras on these things and the weirdos in the control room controlling them. You don't think they're going to be peeping on shit? 

And what if on one of their deliveries they see something they shouldn't? Do they alert the authorities? Do they ignore it and turn a blind eye? 

And how are we supposed to know what the fuck is a walmart or amazon drone and what is the neighborhood peeping tom looking in your windows? 

Slippery slope my friend.

Dennis Winn is a hero in my book. And a damn good shot if you ask me. Personally, I would have opted for a beretta 1301 with some #4 buckshot to hit a thing that small from far away, but I'm a shitty shot. Dennis only need his 9mm and one bullet. #Hero. 

Not even going to get into what a pleasant guy he was dealing with law enforcement either. It's crazy how when you're respectful and not hostile to them things stay pretty calm. 

I can't wait for Dennis to be arraigned. His lawyer has the easiest job in the world because Dennis already stated his case perfectly- "Don't mess with his sky". 

Case dismissed. 

And if it's not, there have been plenty of pardons flying around lately. Dennis better get moved to the top of that list ahead of Fauci, Pelosi, and the rest of the bunch. 

#FREEDENNIS