Florida Man Shoots Walmart Delivery Drone

Credit: Lake County Sheriff's Office

CLERMONT,  Florida - A Florida man was arrested for allegedly shooting a Walmart delivery drone in Clermont, Florida.

According to an arrest affidavit, on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, Lake County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to a shooting complaint at the Walmart located at 1450 Johns Lake Road in Clermont.

Upon arrival, deputies spoke with representatives of DroneUp, a drone delivery service for Walmart.

According to the complainants, DroneUp operates legally under an agreement with the FAA, delivering goods to locations within a 2.4-mile radius of the Walmart, including local residential areas. 

On the day of the incident a two-man crew was in the Overlook at Lake Louisa neighborhood conducting mock deliveries to attract business. 

When their drone descended to approximately 75 feet at the delivery location on Lemay Drive, a crew member heard a loud sound resembling a firearm discharge. 

He told deputies that he observed a man, later identified as 60-year-old Dennis Winn, wearing blue jeans and a blue shirt, holding a handgun and aiming at the drone.

The crew quickly retreated to their van and returned to Walmart, with the drone also flying back to its starting point. 

Upon inspection, the drone's payload system was found to have a $2,500 hole from an apparent bullet impact, along with metal shavings consistent with bullet fragmentation. 

DroneUp stated that the damage rendered the drone inoperable, impacting their business operations, and indicated DroneUp's intention to prosecute.

A deputy then visited Lemay Drive and spoke with Winn, who allegedly admitted to shooting at the drone with his 9mm handgun. 

According to deputies, the Florida man said that he was working on his pool pump when he heard the drone and, believing it was surveilling him, retrieved his pistol and fired at it. 

Winn was informed that his actions caused $10,000 in damages. 

Winn allegedly expressed disbelief and requested the drone as his property if he had to pay for the damages.

Deputies walked Winn through the reckless trajectory of his shot, which passed over his residence, the cul-de-sac roadway, and several other homes. Winn acknowledged the danger of his actions but noted he had previously complained about drones only to his homeowner's association.

During the investigation, a small child was playing near Winn's residence, and several more children arrived while deputies were on scene. Winn was arrested and transported to the Lake County Jail without incident.