Treyarch Co-Founder Pleads Guilty To Crashing Drone Into Firefighting Plane

As a passionate fan, I must confess that Peter T. Akemann, one of the founders at Call of Duty studio Treyarch, admitted to unintentionally colliding with a firefighting aircraft during the recent LA wildfires with my drone. To avoid a possible jail term of up to a year, he’s agreed to serve 150 hours in community service, primarily focusing on helping Southern California’s wildfire recovery efforts. The agreement also requires him to pay a fine of $65,000, which will cover the cost of repairing the damaged firefighting plane.

As per the plea agreement, Akemann operated a drone over the Palisades Fire site, where a “Super Scooper” aircraft was carrying out water-dropping operations. His drone collided with the plane’s wing, inflicting enough damage to force it out of service for a certain duration.

US attorney Joseph McNally, one of the case’s prosecutors, issued a statement emphasizing that operating drones during emergencies poses a significant risk to first responders and hinders the effectiveness of police and fire department operations. He further clarified that individuals who disregard this rule and fly drones in such situations will face arrest and legal consequences, as demonstrated with the case of Akemann.

As a gamer, I’m admitting my mistake and taking full responsibility for it – that’s coming from Akemann, formerly the president of Skydance Interactive. You might have noticed his social media accounts, including X and LinkedIn, are now empty. The news about him leaving his role has been making the rounds. And here’s something exciting for fellow Call of Duty fans: our favorite series continues to dominate, helping Xbox clinch the title of the top video game publisher in December, as reported by one data firm.

A number of significant video game developers have mobilized their assets to aid in the battle against the wildfires in LA. Companies like Riot Games, for instance, organized charitable events within games such as League of Legends and Valorant. Similarly, Sony contributed a substantial $5 million towards Los Angeles fire recovery initiatives.

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2025-02-03 23:40