Seattle drone operators are in the news again, and that's not a good thing. A man whose drone struck a parade-goer in 2015 has been convicted of a gross misdemeanor – which may signal what's to come for another drone operator who recently flew his drone into the Space Needle.
In 2015, a woman attending the Seattle Pride Parade was struck by a drone that fell after crashing into the side of a building. Drone operator Paul M. Skinner was charged with gross misdemeanor at the time, and has now been convicted following a four-day trial. This marks the first time Seattle's Attorney Office has charged someone with the public mishandling of a drone.
The victim was struck in the head by the drone and suffered a concussion as a result, while an unnamed man suffered a ‘minor bruise,’ according to The Seattle Times. Skinner faces up to a $5,000 fine and up to 364 days in jail; his sentence will be issued on February 24.
. dpreview.com2017-1-19 21:53