The FBI and other law enforcement agencies have issued strong warnings against pointing lasers and shooting at suspected drones, citing safety and legal consequences.
The authorities stressed that the risk of mistakenly targeting manned aircraft could result in great harm. The FBI’s office in Newark, New Jersey, and state police put out a statement warning the public “about an increase in pilots of manned aircraft being hit in the eyes with lasers because people on the ground think they see an Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS).
There is also a concern with people possibly firing weapons at what they believe to be a UAS but could be a manned aircraft. FBI Newark, NJSP, and dozens of other agencies and law enforcement partners have been out every night for several weeks to legally track down operators acting illegally or with nefarious intent and using every available tool and piece of equipment to find the answers the public is seeking. However, there could be dangerous and possibly deadly consequences if manned aircraft are targeted mistakenly as UAS.
🚨 DANGEROUS 🚨
— Emergent Perspective (@_emergent_) December 14, 2024
Local New Jersey resident shoots at #Drones over his neighborhood.
The frustration over these things is understandable, but it is a very risky move to take matters into your own hands and 💥🔫 at these.
You could end up both civilly and criminally liable.… pic.twitter.com/QXearIVg5r
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The statement noted that “Misidentification often occurs when UAS are mistaken for more familiar objects such as manned aircraft, low-orbit satellites, or celestial bodies like planets or stars.”
— FBI Newark (@FBINewark) December 16, 2024
Others have cautioned against taking action against drones. Rob D’Amico, a former FBI counter drone chief, told Newsweek that it’s a bad idea to shoot at drones. “If someone shoots at a drone, it is the same legally as shooting at a manned aircraft. No difference... So again, it is just irresponsible to start saying all these things,” he said.
It looks like americans are starting to take matters in there own hands 🔫 as Someone in new jersey U.S.A 🇺🇸 Attempting to shoot down a #drone with semi automatic rifle. #ww3 #DRONESOVERJERSEY #uapsauce #uap #ufo #projectbluebeam #uapdisclosure pic.twitter.com/2ZTVYVnb8M
— UAP sauce (@uapsauce) December 14, 2024
Meanwhile, the FBI has reportedly received over 5,000 tips related to drone sightings; however, “the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones, and law enforcement drones,” ABC News reported.
National Security spokesman John Kirby affirmed these reports, noting that there has been no credible threat to national security.
“After days of going through the various tips, days of looking at analysis, days of increasing our detection capabilities, including visual observers on the ground, we assessed that these drones, these aircraft people are seeing are a mix of law enforcement drones, commercial drones and hobbyists. We continue to see nothing that indicates a public safety risk or national security risk.”
Kirby noted that “There are 1 million drones registered with the FAA here in the United States. Thousands upon thousands fly in our skies legally and lawfully every single day doing all kinds of good things for the public good.”
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