Captain we're taking fire from below!

A few weeks ago I posted on how the NY Police Department was going to use drones to observe activity in the city. Now it looks like someone didn't appreciate being observed. Have to say it couldn't have happened to a nice group of people.

Animal rights group says drone shot down
A remote-controlled aircraft owned by an animal rights group was reportedly shot down near Broxton Bridge Plantation Sunday near Ehrhardt, S.C.

Steve Hindi, president of SHARK (SHowing Animals Respect and Kindness), said his group was preparing to launch its Mikrokopter drone to video what he called a live pigeon shoot on Sunday when law enforcement officers and an attorney claiming to represent the privately-owned plantation near Ehrhardt tried to stop the aircraft from flying.

"It didn't work; what SHARK was doing was perfectly legal," Hindi said in a news release. "Once they knew nothing was going to stop us, the shooting stopped and the cars lined up to leave."

He said the animal rights group decided to send the drone up anyway.

"Seconds after it hit the air, numerous shots rang out," Hindi said in the release. "As an act of revenge for us shutting down the pigeon slaughter, they had shot down our copter."

He claimed the shooters were "in tree cover" and "fled the scene on small motorized vehicles."

"It is important to note how dangerous this was, as they were shooting toward and into a well-travelled highway," Hindi stated in the release...

...The incident report went on to state that "once shot, the helicopter lost lift and crash landed on the roadway of U.S. 601."...

...Hindi estimated damage to the drone at around $200 to $300...

..."This was SHARK's first encounter with the Broxton Bridge Plantation, but it will certainly not be the last," Hindi said in the release. "We are already making plans for a considerably upscaled action in 2013."

Sorry pal you fly over my property like that and get hit, oh well. This group was engaging in a legal activity (dove hunting is still legal in SC last time I checked) so I for one will gladly send a few bird shot shells to this group.