Connecticut police department, YouTube
Connecticut could be first US state to deploy deadly drones
Connecticut could become the first state in the United States to allow police to use weaponised drones if a bill becomes law.
Published: April 2, 2017, 11:06 am
Three police departments in the state have already begun to deploy drones within the past year, according to the American Civil Liberties Union of Connecticut.
The bill, which was approved overwhelmingly by the state legislature’s judiciary committee on Wednesday, would ban deadly drones in the state but exempts police and other agencies involved in law enforcement, the AP reported.
Similar legislation to regulate drones in the state failed in 2016.
The bill is set to go before the House of Representatives for consideration with new rules to be developed by the state Police Officer Standards and Training Council. Officers will need training before being allowed to use deadly drones.
The weaponisation provision is part of House Bill 7260, a broader bill that regulates the use of remote-controlled drones, by both police and members of the public, for the first time, allowing officers to use the technology if they obtain a warrant and operate within certain parameters.
But civil liberties organisations are against the bill. “Data shows police force is disproportionately used on minority communities, and we believe that armed drones would be used in urban centers and on minority communities,” said David McGuire, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union in Connecticut. “We would be setting a dangerous precedent,” McGuire added.
The anti-white NAACP echoed McGuire’s concerns about black minorities: “We have huge concerns that they would use this new technology to abuse our communities,” said Scot X. Esdaile, president of state chapter of the NAACP.
North Dakota is currently the only state that allows police to use weaponised drones, but limits the use to “less lethal” weapons, including stun guns, rubber bullets and tear gas. The Connecticut measure contains no such restrictions.
Five states – Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Vermont and Wisconsin – prohibit the total use of weaponised drones, while Maine and Virginia ban police from using armed drones, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Several other states have restricted drone use in general. So far, 36 states have enacted laws restricting drones and an additional four states have adopted drone limits, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The use of unmanned remote-controlled devices in the US and by the US has risen sharply in recent years and more than 20 states have passed laws regulating them.
All rights reserved. You have permission to quote freely from the articles provided that the source (www.freewestmedia.com) is given. Photos may not be used without our consent.
Consider donating to support our work
Help us to produce more articles like this. FreeWestMedia is depending on donations from our readers to keep going. With your help, we expose the mainstream fake news agenda.
Keep your language polite. Readers from many different countries visit and contribute to Free West Media and we must therefore obey the rules in, for example, Germany. Illegal content will be deleted.
If you have been approved to post comments without preview from FWM, you are responsible for violations of any law. This means that FWM may be forced to cooperate with authorities in a possible crime investigation.
If your comments are subject to preview by FWM, please be patient. We continually review comments but depending on the time of day it can take up to several hours before your comment is reviewed.
We reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive, contain slander or foul language, or are irrelevant to the discussion.
Trump’s Stunning Reset: US Breaks Free from 66 Global Bureaucracies
In an escalation of his "America First" agenda, President Donald Trump announced on January 11, 2026, the United States' withdrawal from 66 international organizations, sending shockwaves through the global diplomatic community.
Bannon Predicts Third Term for Trump
The US, already navigating turbulent waters, may be facing some interesting domestic political developments.
U.S. Nuclear Submarine Maneuvers Escalate Global Tensions
Social media flame wars are leading us to a nuclear exchange.
Ohio disaster: When hedge funds manage rail traffic
East PalestineAfter the derailment of a freight train loaded with highly toxic chemicals in the US state of Ohio, a devastating environmental catastrophe may now be imminent. The wagons burned for days, and a "controlled" explosion by the authorities released dangerous gases into the environment.
US President Biden orders ‘spy’ balloon to be shot down
WashingtonThe US President gave the order to shoot down China's "spy balloon". The balloon had caused US Secretary of State Blinken to cancel a trip to Beijing. In the meantime, a second balloon was sighted.
US is heading for a financial ‘catastrophe’ US Treasury Secretary warns
WashingtonOn January 19, 2023, the United States hit its debt ceiling of $31.4 trillion. The country faces a recession if it defaults on its debt, the US Treasury Secretary warned in an interview. Her warning underscored the danger of printing money.
Gun violence: More risk in Chicago and Philadelphia than Iraq, Afghanistan
Providence, Rhode IslandA striking statistic: young Americans are several times more likely to be injured by a gun in cities like Chicago and Philadelphia than they are while serving as a soldier in a foreign country.
Elon Musk, the first person in history to destroy $200 billion in a year
Never before in human history has a person lost as much money in one year as Elon Musk did in 2022. The Tesla and Twitter boss lost $200 billion last year. However, with his remaining $137 billion, he is still the second richest person in the world.
No comments.
By submitting a comment you grant Free West Media a perpetual license to reproduce your words and name/web site in attribution. Inappropriate and irrelevant comments will be removed at an admin’s discretion. Your email is used for verification purposes only, it will never be shared.