Via PetaPixel:
Woman Who Attacked Drone Photographer for Being a ‘Pervert’ May Have Charges Dropped
The woman who was captured in a viral video last year attacking a drone photographer and calling him a “pervert” may have her charges dropped and record cleared.
23-year-old Andrea Mears has appeared in a Connecticut court and applied for accelerated rehab, or a probationary period in which she must stay out of trouble. After the period is over, Mears may have her third degree assault charges dropped.
Mears became Internet famous last year after confronting 17-year-old Austin Haughwout while he was capturing aerial imagery of Hammonasset Beach State Park on May 12th. She accused Haughwout of being a “pervert” and using his quadcopter camera to shoot photographs of girls sunbathing in bikinis.
During the confrontation, Mears struck Haughwout, grabbed him, and ripped up his shirt. The encounter was captured by Haughwout using his cell phone camera.
Now it appears that Mears may walk away from the attack with what Haughwout believes is a slap on the wrist. A jury will determine if she qualifies for accelerated rehab, and her next court appearance is on July 9th.
“If it had been a male that had assaulted a female, the punishment would have been much more severe,” Haughwout tells FOX CT.
Comments
Incredible! And justice for all... right...
Now I know why I have never visited CT since attending Submarine School, courtesy of the USN, at Groton, CT:-)
TCIII AVD
CT is a very liberal, "criminals are really nice people deep down" flying unicorn type state. She could have torched his car and permanently disabled this kid. She's still have gotten AR with no record. And the typical double standard does apply. If he did it to her, AR would have been denied.
It's not just assault, it's assaulting a minor. Why did they not throw the book at her?
I think a good civil suit is best because it will hit her in the pocket book. She assaulted the young man and he has the proof.
This is an extreme case, but in many ways this repeatedly anywhere..
And what would happen if the operator did not record everything on video?
We see as in the minds of the masses introduced "preset" - if you're shooting in a public place with a tripod with and large camera you are an artist, but if with the aid of the drone, you are pervert, who spying on people. =) =)
Welcome to the criminal justice system in Connecticut. When this incident happened, I said this is exactly what would happen. They'll give her AR, she'll behave for the year, and the charges will be dropped. People have committed far more violent crimes in CT and gotten AR. Criminals and psychos are coddled and treated like victims of society rather than what they are.
He has grounds for a civil suit with a any number of claims. Whether he and his family choose to bother is up to them. In my opinion, it would be a waste of time. She's a loser. She has no fortune to garnish. The only thing a civil suite will do is keep her big mouth in front of microphones and cameras.
A friend of a friend is an ex boyfriend of her's. Trust me, whatever you may be thinking about her sanity, it's all true :)
agreed totally.. and that being said even though she got a slap on this wrist ,
a civil lawsuit over the tort she committed to the pilots reputation should be filed
and she did in fact slander/libel him to a law enforcement officer(who ideally would be deposed as a witness in a civil suit).
It depends on slander and libel law in that state as to remedies available in the courts for her words and deeds.
hzl
This woman also completely misrepresented the facts of this assault to the police who were entirely willing to accept her account until Austin presented the incontrovertible evidence recorded with his camera that basically everything she said was a lie.
There is no way the charges should be reduced, the charges were way more lenient than were appropriate to the circumstance as it is.
Austin is absolutely right, and without his camera, he would probably be rotting in jail right now for something he didn't do.
Throw her in jail and then get her considerable psychiatric help before letting her out to frame other innocent quadcopter fliers.
She physically attacked him with no valid or legal reason whatsoever other than her own completely ill conceived convictions.
She is a menace.