Police say they expect to lay charges as they continue to investigate the shooting down of a commercial drone understood to be worth nearly $500,000.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
In a one-line statement, an ACT Policing spokeswoman also said a man had been referred to restorative justice in relation to the incident, which happened about 2.15pm on February 14.
It is understood Evoenergy was using the drone to carry out surveying work when it was shot down near Apollo Road in Tennent, a rural part of the ACT.
Evoenergy declined to answer any questions about the incident but it is understood the drone and the equipment it was fitted with were valued at just under $500,000.
The company's 2018 annual planning report said it had trialled the use of drones equipped with light detection and ranging technology, and that it planned to test the technology further this year.
Drones are an increasingly common sight in the Canberra sky, with Project Wing, an offshoot of Google's parent company Alphabet, now operating a world-first drone delivery service in Canberra's north after earlier running trials in Bonython.
The service was granted approval despite the Wing trials sparking community backlash, which led to an ACT Legislative Assembly inquiry into drones.
By 2030, Project Wing estimates there could be 11,000 drone deliveries each day in the ACT.