Minnesota man charged with shooting firefighting aircraft during wildfire mission
A man has been charged with shooting and disabling an aircraft while its pilot was fighting a forest fire in northern Minnesota, according to federal prosecutors. Authorities said he admitted firing guns as the aircraft flew nearby but claimed he was hunting crows.
Daniel Christian Pettit, 48, of Portage Township, Minnesota, appeared at court on Monday after a federal grand jury indicted him on one count of damaging an aircraft and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
The shooting happened on the evening of May 15, according to prosecutors. State court documents say the pilot was flying a firefighting mission and discovered damage that appeared consistent with bullet strikes after landing.
The federal indictment alleges that the suspect knowingly and willfully damaged and disabled the aircraft with a firearm.
After his arrest on related state charges, the suspect told investigators he had fired a 12-gauge shotgun and a .308-caliber rifle as the aircraft flew nearby, according to the state court documents. He maintained that he was only crow hunting.
The FBI, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and St. Louis County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
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Ella Rae Greene, Editor In Chief
