Intimidation at the Driveway
When Police Powers Are Used to Silence the Press
This morning at 10:15 AM, my family woke up to a Connecticut State Police cruiser parked in our private driveway. There was no emergency. There was no warrant. There was only an unspoken message: "We are watching you."
My family was unsettled, as any law-abiding residents would be. But the intent of this "command presence" became clear soon after.
The Admission
When I first approached the officer in my driveway, he drove away without speaking. I located him later at Town Hall. When I asked why he was stationed on my private property, he confirmed that he personally filed a complaint with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regarding my drone photography of the Sherman School construction site.
It is important to note: The FAA has since reviewed my flight operations with regard to federal regulations and closed the investigation after I spoke with them. They were satisfied with my documentation and explanation of events. Meanwhile, state resources were used to deliver a federal investigation.
The Confrontation
When I approached First Selectman Don Lowe to ask about the blinding lights on Route 37 and the Trooper stationed in my driveway, the conversation was shut down immediately. He refused to discuss the site safety or zoning violations, claiming the lights "don't apply" because they are inside the building.
Instead, he pivoted to a narrative completely untethered from reality. He explicitly accused me, stating, "You threatened people."
This was a fabrication. I have never spoken to the workers; I simply flew a drone to document public work. When I pressed for an explanation, he escalated further, telling me, "I feel threatened by you being here."
I stood there, motionless, next to my 80-year-old husband. The idea that a senior couple asking a zoning question constituted a physical "threat" would be laughable if it weren't being used by the town's highest official to justify calling the police. As we walked out, I turned to my husband in disbelief and asked, "He's threatened by us? Did you hear that?"
The contrast with the State Trooper was stark, but equally disturbing. The Trooper was presentable and gentle—he shook my hand and spoke softly. But while his demeanor was polite, his words were deceitful. He looked me in the eye and lied about his presence, claiming he was there to "protect" my driveway, even as his actions proved he was there to monitor it.
Don Lowe chose loud aggression; the Trooper chose quiet dishonesty. Both were working toward the same goal: to make a resident seeking accountability feel like a criminal.
What Are They Hiding?
Why go to these lengths? Why involve the FAA and the State Police over a drone flying legally below 400 feet elevation?
The answer lies in what that drone saw last week: A construction site left open to the elements, a roof unsecured before a storm, and a project that is seemingly cutting corners on safety.
"Intimidation doesn't happen when things are going well. It happens when people are afraid of the truth."
I will continue to ask the questions that the administration refuses to answer. Because in a free society, the police protect the people—they do not silence them.