Deputies: Images from drone help catch Oregon man who shot it down
Images from a drone helped lead to the arrest of the man accused of shooting it down over a southern Oregon park.
Posted — UpdatedChristopher David Grindstaff, 33, turned himself in to law enforcement after reading about the case online.
A man reported his drone had been shot down while flying over the Hoover Ponds County Park in White City.
The victim posted photos and video of the incident from his drone on Facebook and then provided that evidence to deputies.
Investigators said Grindstaff can be seen standing next to his 1994 Isuzu Trooper and appeared to be pointing a rifle at the drone just before it crashed to the ground.
Deputies determined Grindstaff used a high-velocity air rifle with .177 caliber pellet ammunition to shoot the drone.
The value of the drone is estimated at more than $1,000.
Grindstaff was booked into the Jackson County Jail on one count of first-degree criminal mischief, a Class C felony.
The case will be forwarded to the Jackson County District Attorney's Office for prosecution. It will also be sent to the Federal Aviation Administration for review, according to deputies.
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