Peter T. Akemann, the co-founder of the Treyarch video game studio, has pleaded guilty to recklessly flying a drone during the California wildfire. According to his own admission, the video game exec launched a DJI drone during the fires last month and it crashed into a firefighting plane. He’ll pay $65,169 to repair the plane and do 150 hours of community service related to wildfire relief.
Akemann is a 56-year-old gaming veteran with a long history in the industry. Treyarch, the studio he co-founded, is responsible for the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater franchise and the Black Ops run of Call of Duty games.
On January 9, as wildfires raged across California, Akemann drove to the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California. He went to the top floor of a parking lot there and launched a DJI Mini 3 Pro towards the Pacific Palisades with the goal of surveilling the fire.
Drones are cheap. The “I point lasers at planes” and the “I fly drones during emergencies” crowds overlap