The teenager that invented a drone that can fire a semi-automatic handgun has been arrested.
Earlier this week, a video of a pistol-toting quadcopter firing off rounds in a wooded area in the USA began circulating on the web. See below:
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It was the dystopian handiwork of an 18-year-old male from Connecticut called Austin Haughwout, who is now in custody of US police.
Interestingly, despite being investigated by America’s Federal Aviation Authority as a result of the video,
Instead, Haughwout has been charged with assault and interfering with a police officer because he “repeatedly” hit and kicked at two officers.
He was arrested on Wednesday evening, although police say he refused to submit to arrest at the time.
Haughwout appeared in court yesterday and posted a $20,000 bond.
Related: 11 jawdropping videos that will make you want a drone
The teen is currently a mechanical engineering student at Central Connecticut State University, although the weaponised quadcopter was a side project not directly involved with Haughwout’s studies.
It’s worth noting that local reports suggest law enforcement officials “do not believe the device violates any state law”.
“If it’s being discharged in an area where it could be legally discharged, right now there’s no legislation that prohibits it,” explains Clinton Police Department Sergeant Jeremiah Dunn.
Good old American gun law, eh?
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.