Shooting unmanned aircraft is unlikely to lead to federal prosecution. It is not, however, open season on quadcopters.

The inimitable New York Post reported the latest drone-downing by a civilian with an opening line, “Hey, punk, get off the airspace over my lawn!” that, intentionally or not, at least nicks the heart of an unresolved legal issue. Gerard Chasteen, 26, was charged with third-degree criminal mischief and prohibited use of a weapon after allegedly blasting a DJI Mavic 2 Zoom out of the air with a shotgun. The drone was being flown by volunteers searching for a missing dog, according to media reports and information provided by police in Suffolk County, Long Island.

“Multiple shotguns were confiscated from the residence,” police noted, but there was no mention of any federal criminal allegation, nor a referral to federal authorities.