But Bret And Austin Haughwout Are Refusing To Appear

A case involving a father and son, drones armed with a pistol and a flamethrower, and the FAA is headed to court to determine if Austin Haughwout, 19, of Clinton CT and his father Bret will be required to comply with a subpoena demanding they be deposed by federal court.

The hearing,scheduled for Wednesday, will determine if the FAA can compel the two to give the agency information about UAVs shown in YouTube videos posted by the teenager that show the aircraft firing a gun and deploying a flamethrower in their backyard.

Fox News reports that the Haughwouts are refusing to appear, saying the subpoenas violate their constitutional right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures. They also challenge the agency's authority to regulate non-commercial drones.

The video showing the drone firing the handgun has been viewed nearly 4 million times, according to the report. The other, in which the aircraft lights up a spit-roasting turkey for Thanksgiving, has been watched almost 600,000 times. Both were recorded in the family's backyard in Clinton.

The subpoenas were issued in November and December requiring the two to make depositions about the UAVs and the videos. Federal prosecutors said in court documents that they are seeking information connected to an investigation about the safe operation of "aircraft" being conducted under the FAA's authority to look into potential violations of regulations prohibiting the "careless" or "reckless" operation of aircraft.

"Based on media reports, the FAA believes that the respondents have built and/or operated at least two (drones) carrying weapons with the capability of causing serious injury to a person or property," Assistant U.S. Attorney John Larson wrote in a court filing.

But the Haughwouts' attorney, Mario Cerame, says the FAA should not be using airplane regulations to control how recreational drones are operated. "This is a kid playing in his backyard," Cerame said.

In a separate lawsuit filed by Austin Haughwout with the state of Connecticut, the teenager claims he was expelled from Central Connecticut State University on trumped-up charges of threatening allegations because they are concerned about the drone videos. His lawsuit seeks reinstatement to the school. School officials say he was expelled for making threatening statements and gestures towards others on the campus.

He is also the person who, in 2014, was accused by a woman of using a drone to take video of her on a beach. Authorities wound up charging the woman with assault, and the video of the altercation was posted by Haughwout on YouTube. It has collected more than 500,000 views.

But he has also been on the wrong side of the law. As recently as last week, he was been charged by authorities in Clinton with enticing a minor with a computer, attempted sexual assault and possession of child pornography. Police say they found child porn on his cellphone.

FMI: www.ctd.uscourts.gov