A striking sighting in Staten Island has sparked a flurry of police activity.
Retired NYPD Detective John Scotto reported seeing a large drone release a glowing object early on December 14, leading to extensive NYPD involvement, New York Post reported.
While enjoying the morning on his porch in the Rossville area of Staten Island, John Scotto observed what he described as significant aerial activity. It was approximately 6:15 AM when Scotto noticed a large drone, about 7 feet in length and 2 feet wide, adorned with flashing lights of white, red, and green. The drone, moving slowly at a pace Scotto estimated to be no more than 20 miles per hour, appeared over his neighborhood.
John Scotto then detailed how the drone briefly hovered near his home, clearing his roof by roughly 20 feet. Suddenly, it released an object that emitted a white light before it rapidly descended and vanished from sight.
Following the sighting, Scotto promptly reported the incident by making a 911 call. NYPD officers arrived at the scene within an impressive 15-minute timeline to assess the situation. In response to the report, the NYPD deployed a helicopter, which conducted four flybys over the area to identify any further unusual activities.
John Scotto's frustration with the federal stance on recent drone sightings was palpable. He expressed his discontent with how authorities are handling and communicating the incidents to the public:
I was angry, more than anything else, because the government is lying. I was pissed. They’re telling people they didn’t see drones in the sky, and the lame excuses they were giving. It made me angry.
Determined to understand more about what was dropped, Scotto spent an hour and a half searching the woods where the object presumably fell. Despite his efforts, he found no trace of the mysterious object—only unrelated items like golf balls and baseballs.
The Federal Aviation Administration's recent actions provide some context for Scotto's experience. In response to ongoing drone sightings over New York and New Jersey, which officials have dismissed as misidentifications of manned aircraft, the FAA has established temporary drone flight restrictions across numerous cities in both states.
Experts have weighed in on potential explanations for the drone's payload. Arthur Erickson, CEO of drone manufacturing company Hylio, speculated on the nature of the object:
I think this was either some scientific instrumentation, like a weather balloon-like object that was dropped into the bay for example to measure something. It could have been simply a ‘dummy’ payload to simulate some sort of mission. Perhaps just some soft and light object to measure precision of a drop.
Reflecting on the incident, Scotto proposed that the drone might be part of a security operation or threat assessment, a suspicion borne out of the government's vague justifications.
As the community and authorities continue to probe these incidents, the true nature and purpose of the drone observed by John Scotto remain subjects of intrigue and speculation. Whether it is part of a larger security measure or something else entirely, this incident underscores the growing need for transparency and clear guidelines in the era of increasingly common drone usage.
