Page 33 - 2025 May June Magazine
P. 33
One such incident that went viral on You Tube involved a 72
year old retiree called Dennis Winn who blasted a Walmart
delivery drone in Florida. Multiple police officers quickly
converged on scene and asked Winn what happened, on
camera. They were surprised and bemused by Winn’s honesty
but when he confessed to shooting the drone with his hand gun
he was arrested. Here is a condensed version of the interview:
Police: At some point today did a drone fly over your
house and you shoot at it?
Winn: Yes.
Police: Why?
Winn: Because I thought someone was playing games
over my house.
Police: Where is the gun now?
Winn: In my house.
Police: You are being very honest.
Winn: What am I going to do, lie to the police?
Screen shots from Maximus Aviation YouTube Video posted December
14, 2024.
There were some legal experts who felt Winn should have kept
his door and mouth shut:
But others said no the first mistake was shooting down a
Walmart drone with a firearm in a residential community. Many
people applauded Winn for his honesty and a few even said
they wished he would move to New Jersey.
Shortly after the President Elect’s suggestion to shoot the
drones down, the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI,
the FAA, and the DOD issued a joint statement admitting
that drones were flying over New Jersey but assuring that
most were engaged in “lawful aerial activity.” Everyone was
again cautioned never to point or shoot lasers, guns, or other
weapons at aircraft at any time.
Two weeks later, on January 9, 2025, the President-Elect scoffed
at the joint statement and said he would reveal the secrets of the
New Jersey drones one week after taking office:
“It's ridiculous that they are not telling you about what's going
on with the drones…our military knows and our president
knows. And for some reason, they want to keep people in
suspense. I can't imagine it's the enemy, because if it was the
enemy, they'd blast it out. Even if they were late, they'd blast it.
Something strange is going on. For some reason they do not
want to tell you.
By this time, conspiracy theories were running wild with some
involving non-human intelligence (NHI) and anti-gravity
powered UFOs from outer space.
The Big Reveal
“We have met the enemy and they are ours”- Oliver Perry8
White House Spokesperson Karoline Leavitt.
Wikimedia public domain image.
Finally, after a long, agonizing wait, the day
of the big reveal arrived. Newly appointed
White House Press Secretary Karoline
Leavitt stepped up to the podium and
delivered the news:
“After research and study, the drones
that were flying over New Jersey in large
numbers were authorized to be flown by the FAA for research
and various other reasons. Many of these drones were also
hobbyists, recreational and private individuals that enjoy flying
drones. In time, it got worse due to curiosity. This was not the
enemy.”
Leavitt took no questions and moved to another topic. No other
information was provided then or later. The whole thing was
over in thirty seconds. Drones had stopped flying over New
Jersey by then and the subject dropped from the news cycle.
Public reaction varied. Some people were happy to hear the
drones were “ours” and did not ask or need to know more.
Continued on next page.
8 During the War of 1812, U.S Naval Commodore Oliver Perry said to William Harri-
son, “we have met the enemy and they are ours.” The phrase stands with John Paul
Jones’s “I have not yet begun to fight,” and Julius Caesar’s “Veni, vidi, vici” (I came, I
saw, I conquered) among the most famous battle reports in history.
M a y /J u n e 2 0 2 5 | P I E R C E C O U N T Y L A W Y E R 3 3

