By I. Hansana, Jadetimes News
Florida Man Faces Charges After Shooting at Walmart Delivery Drone
A Florida resident, Dennis Winn, is facing multiple charges after authorities alleged he shot at a Walmart delivery drone. The incident took place in Clermont, located about 26 miles west of Orlando.
The Lake County Sheriff's Office reported the incident on Facebook after receiving a complaint on Wednesday. According to the caller, a bullet hole was discovered in the payload the drone was carrying.
Witnesses identified 72 year old Winn, who later admitted during an interview with officials that he shot at the drone with a 9 mm pistol. In police bodycam footage, Winn explained that he tried to shoo the drone away and, when it didn't leave, he decided to shoot at it.
"I fired one round at it," Winn said in the footage. "They say I hit it, so I must be a good shot, or else it's not that far away . I'm going to wind up having to find a real good defense lawyer."
Winn was subsequently taken into custody and charged with shooting at an aircraft, criminal mischief with damage over $1,000, and discharging a firearm in public or residential property, according to the sheriff's office. A lawyer listed for Winn in online court records did not immediately respond to requests for comment, nor did Walmart.
Walmart Drone Delivery
Walmart first introduced drone delivery in 2021 and expanded the service to select markets in Texas, Arizona, and Florida by the following year. Initially, Walmart partnered with DroneUp, a drone delivery company that also collaborates with fast food chains like Chick fil A and Wendy’s, as well as health clinics. In January 2024, Walmart announced an expansion to include on demand drone delivery companies Wing and Zipline.
"Over the last two years trialing drone delivery, we’ve completed over 20,000 safe deliveries," Walmart stated on its website. The company also announced plans to make drone delivery available to up to 1.8 million additional homes in the Dallas Fort Worth area.