OK: Legal drone shot down in Edmond neighborhood

A drone was shot out of the sky in the 23000 block of Lauren Ln. in Edmond. The Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office says it was flying legally and now they are addressing new concerns when it comes to the growing number of drones in the air.

“Drones are very hot now. You can buy all different types and kinds of drones nowadays and people fly them for all kinds of reasons,” says Mark Opgrande, spokesperson for the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office.

The drone was flying on Wednesday, sheriff’s officers tell FOX 25. It was being used legally by a construction company to inspect gutters on a home, but a woman in a nearby home, got spooked.

“We were told that the person operating the drone was doing it for work. I believe he was surveying the house, possibly the gutters, they were doing some work on the home. Somebody thought that they didn’t know why the drone was there, thought they were spying, so the neighbor came out and shot it down,” says Opgrande.

The drone was registered with the FAA but the operator, allegedly, did not tell anyone why they were flying.

The OKCSO says even if you’re using a drone legally, you should communicate with those in the area so that a situation like this does not happen.

“If you’re going to be flying a drone and it happens to be in a neighborhood and you’re there because you’re working, let people know. As much as you can, let the people around there know, hey I’m going to be flying my drone around,” says Opgande.

Right now the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office is investigating, but they tell us they do not think any charges will be filed.

http://okcfox.com/news/local/legal-drone-shot-down-in-edmond-neighborhood

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