Peter Akemann Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Wildfire Suppression Efforts with Drone
As firefighters valiantly battled the devastating Palisades Fire in Los Angeles, an irresponsible act from Peter Tripp Akemann hindered their efforts. Akemann, co-founder of game developer Treyarch, recklessly operated an unmanned aircraft (drone), colliding it with a Super Scooper firefighting aircraft.
The U.S. Attorney's Office announced Akemann's guilty plea to the charge of unsafe operation of an unmanned aircraft, carrying a potential sentence of one year in prison.
Akemann admits to launching the drone from a Santa Monica parking garage, losing sight of it before it crashed into the Super Scooper. Despite the lack of injuries to the flight crew, the aircraft sustained significant damage, grounding it and incurring a repair cost of over $65,000.
Acting United States Attorney Joseph T McNally condemned Akemann's actions, highlighting that drone-flying near wildfires poses severe risks to first responders. "This damage... is a reminder that flying drones during emergencies compromises operations and threatens personnel."
As part of his plea agreement, Akemann will compensate the Quebec government for the aircraft damage and perform community service. The government recommends a reduced offense level for his cooperation.
Akemann's attorneys released a statement expressing his remorse and willingness to make amends, emphasizing mitigating factors like the failure of the drone's geo-fencing system.
Akemann, a prominent figure in the gaming industry, co-founded Treyarch in 1996, later purchased by Activision and known for the Call of Duty franchise. He subsequently co-founded The Workshop, contributing to Gears of War 4 and XCOM 2. The studio evolved into Skydance Interactive under Skydance Media, where Akemann served as president.