NY Man Who Schooled Trooper Still Waiting for Police to Return Drone

A New York man who had his drone confiscated by state troopers for flying it over the state capitol building took another drone and flew it over state police headquarters after they refused to return the first one.

That prompted one trooper to walk up to Adam Rupeka and demand his identification, which he refused to provide.

And that drew the attention of a New York state police sergeant, which usually leads to an instant escalation of intimidation.

But as shocking as it sounds, the sergeant ended up siding with Rupeka, shooing away the trooper named Donald Fougere.

However, as victorious as Rupeka may have been that day, it still did not negate the fact that the New York State Police Department still maintains possession of one of his drones.

And today, nearly two weeks after that day and a month after they first confiscated it, police refuse to release the drone, telling him that the case “is still under investigation,” according to a New York state police investigator named Ronald R. Pierone, Jr.

Pierone has been doing all he can to not return the drone, even though he does not have a warrant nor has he been able to articulate any law that Rubeka broke with the drone.

In fact, he admitted they are trying their best to comb the law books to find something; anything; that they can charge Rupeka with. All they needed was just more time to read the books, which is why it is “still under investigation.”

It’s all a day in the life for Rupeka of [__Capital District Cop Block,__](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC60T0Kgb8IDFIY4qflsxXuw/videos) who recently made national headlines  after he was pepper sprayed and arrested for flipping a cop off.

That [__cop was fired__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/06/new-york-cop-who-pepper-sprayed-man-for-flipping-the-bird-suspended-without-pay/) and Rupeka was [__awarded a settlement__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/08/new-york-man-reaches-settlement-for-unlawful-arrest-for-flipping-cop-off-as-more-video-is-released/) from the Saratoga Springs Police Department, part of which he used to purchase a DJI Phantom 3 quadcopter, the one they confiscated.

The latest incident with Fougere took place Friday, September 25 in front of the New York State Police Headquarters in Latham, about ten miles from Albany, where he had his original drone confiscated.

Finding him suspicious because he was flying a drone, Fougere began bullying him for his identification, telling him he was required to hand it over.

“You’re going around, you’re videotaping our state police facility for no apparent reason and if I’m asking you who you are, you have to provide identification,” Fougere told him.

But Rupeka reminded him that he was under no obligation to provide identification unless the trooper was able to articulate a reasonable suspicion that he was somehow involved in a crime.

And while Fougere refused to acknowledge that, his sergeant stepped out of the building to ensure he had no grounds to detain Rupeka, making Fougere look like a baby-faced rookie.

However, he’s been on the force for a few years and can be seen in this [__not nearly as embarrassing video__](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxg-3qZkgaY) where he talks about the importance of strapping your child seat in tightly.

Click on the audio clips below to hear the conversations between Rupeka and Pierone as well as internal affairs that went nowhere.

And watch the two videos below, the first one showing his stand-off with Fougere, in which he emerged victorious, the second one showing his standoff with Pierone, who up to now, has been victorious in keeping Rupeka’s personal property.

Rupeka has provided us with Pierone’s contact info.

Pierone’s cell phone: 518-858-9641. Pierone’s office number: 518-473-2967: Pierone’s email address [__ronald.pierone@troopers.ny.gov__](mailto:ronald.pierone@troopers.ny.gov).

https://youtu.be/HUE50xRpIuo

https://youtu.be/E3UxVfgpOQo

A New York man who had his drone confiscated by state troopers for flying it over the state capitol building took another drone and flew it over state police headquarters after they refused to return the first one.

That prompted one trooper to walk up to Adam Rupeka and demand his identification, which he refused to provide.

And that drew the attention of a New York state police sergeant, which usually leads to an instant escalation of intimidation.

But as shocking as it sounds, the sergeant ended up siding with Rupeka, shooing away the trooper named Donald Fougere.

However, as victorious as Rupeka may have been that day, it still did not negate the fact that the New York State Police Department still maintains possession of one of his drones.

And today, nearly two weeks after that day and a month after they first confiscated it, police refuse to release the drone, telling him that the case “is still under investigation,” according to a New York state police investigator named Ronald R. Pierone, Jr.

Pierone has been doing all he can to not return the drone, even though he does not have a warrant nor has he been able to articulate any law that Rubeka broke with the drone.

In fact, he admitted they are trying their best to comb the law books to find something; anything; that they can charge Rupeka with. All they needed was just more time to read the books, which is why it is “still under investigation.”

It’s all a day in the life for Rupeka of [__Capital District Cop Block,__](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC60T0Kgb8IDFIY4qflsxXuw/videos) who recently made national headlines  after he was pepper sprayed and arrested for flipping a cop off.

That [__cop was fired__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/06/new-york-cop-who-pepper-sprayed-man-for-flipping-the-bird-suspended-without-pay/) and Rupeka was [__awarded a settlement__](http://photographyisnotacrime.com/2015/08/new-york-man-reaches-settlement-for-unlawful-arrest-for-flipping-cop-off-as-more-video-is-released/) from the Saratoga Springs Police Department, part of which he used to purchase a DJI Phantom 3 quadcopter, the one they confiscated.

The latest incident with Fougere took place Friday, September 25 in front of the New York State Police Headquarters in Latham, about ten miles from Albany, where he had his original drone confiscated.

Finding him suspicious because he was flying a drone, Fougere began bullying him for his identification, telling him he was required to hand it over.

“You’re going around, you’re videotaping our state police facility for no apparent reason and if I’m asking you who you are, you have to provide identification,” Fougere told him.

But Rupeka reminded him that he was under no obligation to provide identification unless the trooper was able to articulate a reasonable suspicion that he was somehow involved in a crime.

And while Fougere refused to acknowledge that, his sergeant stepped out of the building to ensure he had no grounds to detain Rupeka, making Fougere look like a baby-faced rookie.

However, he’s been on the force for a few years and can be seen in this [__not nearly as embarrassing video__](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cxg-3qZkgaY) where he talks about the importance of strapping your child seat in tightly.

Click on the audio clips below to hear the conversations between Rupeka and Pierone as well as internal affairs that went nowhere.

And watch the two videos below, the first one showing his stand-off with Fougere, in which he emerged victorious, the second one showing his standoff with Pierone, who up to now, has been victorious in keeping Rupeka’s personal property.

Rupeka has provided us with Pierone’s contact info.

Pierone’s cell phone: 518-858-9641. Pierone’s office number: 518-473-2967: Pierone’s email address [__ronald.pierone@troopers.ny.gov__](mailto:ronald.pierone@troopers.ny.gov).

https://youtu.be/HUE50xRpIuo

https://youtu.be/E3UxVfgpOQo

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Carlos Miller
Carlos Millerhttps://pinacnews.com
Editor-in-Chief Carlos Miller spent a decade covering the cop beat for various newspapers in the Southwest before returning to his hometown Miami and launching Photography is Not a Crime aka PINAC News in 2007. He also published a book, The Citizen Journalist's Photography Handbook, which is available on Amazon.

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