The drone was reported to be a DJI Phantom 2 Vision quadcopter (above)
The owner told police he was taking aerial photos of his friend’s home, a property under construction in New Jersey, USA.
‘While doing so he heard several gunshots as he simultaneously lost control of the drone,’ Lieutenant Patrick Greene was quoted as saying in a press release posted online by Motherboard, an internet-based magazine and video channel.
‘Upon retrieving the drone, he observed multiple holes in it consistent with a shotgun blast.’
A local man was reportedly arrested and charged with ‘possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and criminal mischief’.
The shotgun and drone were seized by police.
The drone was reported to be a DJI Phantom 2 Vision quadcopter, which costs around £650.
In a poll conducted in the US last year, 47% of respondents believed they had a right to shoot down a drone if one flew over their house and recorded them and their property without their permission.
Last month, video footage emerged of an ‘angry ram’ attacking a drone in New Zealand.
In the UK, an Amateur Photographer (AP) reader said he witnessed a drone crash into a crowd at a classic car event in Brighton, East Sussex over the summer, sparking anger from witnesses.
Last month, AP published an article on the safe use of drones in the UK.