Drone Operator, Reality TV Star Settle Hatcher Pass Fight

A Saturday confrontation in Hatcher Pass between a Discovery Channel reality TV star and a drone operator was reportedly settled this morning without further incident.

Justin Pursley reported in a widely shared Facebook post to an Alaska-based drone group that Marty Raney, star of the Discovery Channel reality TV show Homestead Rescue, had “assaulted me” and “ripped my drone out of my hands and destroyed it” after Raney saw Pursley’s drone flying overhead off Hatcher Pass Road on Saturday.

Raney and Pursley met on Tuesday to exchange payment for the drone, according to a post on Raney’s Facebook page.

“I met with Justin, paid for drone, new parts for damaged one coming,” Raney posted. “Now he has two. Shook hands. All good. Offered him a job as a drone operator for my show. Best I can do.”

Pursley told KTUU earlier in the day that he had been testing his new drone for about 14 minutes Saturday near mile 8 on Hatcher Pass Road when Raney pulled up in a pick-up truck. Raney told Pursley and his father-in-law that they could not fly in the area, Pursley said.

That’s when the confrontation became heated, Pursley said in the post.

“Raney … was telling us that he owns the air and that laws don’t matter around there and that he was going to shoot my drone with a shotgun,” Pursley wrote.

The post has since been removed.

Alaska State Troopers responded to a 911 call, Pursley said. He also filed — and then Jan. 2 canceled — a restraining order against Raney, according to KTUU.

An Alaska Trooper spokesperson confirmed the Troopers received a call and that the case remains open, but had no further details.

Raney posted a note to his own Facebook page Tuesday morning looking for Pursley.

“Justin Pursley. I spent the last two days driving to Chena and back. Ample time to think, while driving across this amazing state,” he wrote. “I'm willing to replace your drone today. Say where and when, I'll drive to Anchorage and hand you the money. I never Intended to break your drone. And for that, I'm sorry.”

Pursley, who did not immediately respond to a request for comment, wrote that the Troopers told him what he was doing was not illegal.

A new federal law signed in early December requires all drone operators to register their drones with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). It was not clear whether or not Pursley’s drone is registered.