Too late now, but a self-defense plea might have worked. People have been killed with drones and he could have claimed he feared for his life. As far as I know, shooting at someone or something outside your home for spying on you is not a very good defense. If no harm to people was done I'd be inclined to treat it like a negligent discharge however that is generally handled by the law.
Did this 71 year old man deserve being arrested/charged with a felony?
Was the drone making a "delivery" to his house??? If so, did Walmart have permission to deliver that way??? If not, why was it above his house lowering a cord??? Probably should have just grabbed the cord and yanked the drone down...
Yes, he did. He should not be discharging a firearm.
What if that bullet had hit some innocent bystander a few streets away?
Just because nobody got hurt doesn't justify his actions.
Being arrested, being prosecuted, being convicted ...he'll have his day in court to plead his case.
Yes.
Didn't have to arrest or cuff him. If the officer feels like he HAS to enforce the letter of the law, he could have called in to a superior and see if they thought the prosecutors would pursue a charge. Firing your 9mm into the air in a tightly constructed community like that is fraught with risk, but Florida is typically pretty "loose" on that (based on my experience in Citrus County). I'm thinking a misdemeanor charge with a fine would teach the lesson. There's always a way to do the right thing.
What is the status of the case? Pending or has he been convicted?
If he actually caused damage of more than $1000 then I’d say that arrest was appropriate. Hopefully he wasn’t detained long, can plea down to less than felony and can get a deal for no jail. I’d hate to think about how many firearm discharges occur in Miami and Jacksonville on a weekly basis that don’t even get investigated.
Good grief. How about going after the murderers and drug dealers. 
sdandrea1 All depends, may be a first case to help define what a homeowner actually owns of their property. Been many decisions about owning the mineral rights underneath the land, now with drones increasing, do we own all/some of the airspace about our property. Extends to privacy and protection for the govt using drones about our property.
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rsvman2 shooting down drones
I thought that was illegal in all states. For any reason. The FAA governs drones, and their uses.
If I'm understanding the thread at all, his arrest was not about the drone; a complaint would need to be filed by owner. And I cannot listen to any of the convos in the vids. So......
We've had drone threads prior, btw.(flying over man's backyard pool.... daughter in bathing suit)
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rsvman2 Or how about not being paranoid and how about not shooting down drones?
Oh, I think he's done shooting at drones. I'm on the side of him suffering consequences. I just think it shouldn't be a felony in this case. If the courtd gives him a hefty fine on a misdemeanor, I would hope the problem is solved.
Were there hopes this would turn into a 'guns' thread, instead of about drones, when originally posted???
There's a neighbor here that flies his drone up and down the river and consequently, my back yard while we're sitting on the back deck. It never occurred to me to shoot at it.
Par4QC If he was actually charged with criminal mischief for >$1000 in damage I’d assume it is as much or more about the drone as it is the shooting - unless he missed badly and shot a neighbor’s property (house or car).
I would think that at some point a low flying drone could be considered an invasion of privacy. I don't like of idea of using drones to deliver products, but hey I'm a middle class American.