There will be a trial this month based on a drone

There will be a trial this month based on a drone, a beer and a gun. Lonnie Lynn Abbott pleaded not guilty to the charges of misdemeanor criminal threatening and reckless endangerment for allegedly pointing a gun at two people following the crash of a beer-hauling drone at the Mt. Pleasant Mobile Home Park in St. Johnsbury.  Vermont State Police say they were dispatched to 37 Avenue C at 4:37 p.m. on May 1 and spoke to the alleged victims in the case, John Matthews, 52, and his son Kyle Matthews, 29. VSP Tpr. Tyler Davidson wrote in his report. “John  said he was flying his drone, tied a fishing line under it and attached a beer to see if the drone could fly. He said he was flying the beer to his buddy down the road and on the way back the fishing line got tangled in the propeller and crashed on the neighbor’s property. John said he walked over to get it when Abbott came around the trailer and confronted them about violating his civil rights.” John Matthews told police that he and Abbott were engaged in an argument when Abbott pulled a handgun out of his rear waistband and pointed it at him and his son. “John said he and Kyle ran back to their house and he told Kyle to call the police.” The weapon turned out to be a BB gun. According to court documents, Abbott told police he suffered from PTSDisorder and “psychosis” and that he was very upset about the drone. Abbott stated the drone flying overhead was stressing him out and he grabbed his C02 pistol and was trying to shoot it down. Police say Abbott admitted to pointing the gun at John and Kyle but said it was an act of self-defense. Abbott said he felt threatened when John and Kyle came towards him, so he pulled his BB pistol out and pointed it at them and told them to stop. Abbott faces a possible sentence of up to two years in prison and a $2,000 fine if convicted on the misdemeanor charges.