Mississippi County sheriff warns against shooting solar panels after costly incidents

MISSISSIPPI COUNTY, Ark. (KAIT) — The Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents about shooting solar panels after three incidents in the past year caused thousands of dollars in damage.

Two of the incidents were intentional, according to the sheriff’s office. The most recent incident in November did not cause damage, but officials said it prompted the public warning.

“So, they’re thin. A bullet can travel through five, six, maybe up to ten panels at a time with one bullet, so it can cause thousands of dollars in damage very quickly,” said Capt. Preston Williams of the Mississippi County Sheriff’s Office.

One incident about a year ago damaged 30 to 40 solar panels and caused about $100,000 in damage, Williams said. Another separate incident damaged about 10 solar panels.

Williams said when solar panels are damaged, entire panels must be replaced rather than repaired.

“This [picture} shows, you know, how they go all the way through … and so now the whole entire panel is ruined now, it has to be replaced,” Williams said while showing damage from one incident.

Shooting solar panels can result in felony charges under federal law because the panels are connected to the electrical grid, Williams said.

“It’s a felony offense punishable by 5 to 20 years in prison,” Williams said.

The captain said damage to solar panels can affect power output and have a ripple effect on consumers beyond Mississippi County.

“Everybody gets power from those, wherever the power goes, so it affects how much power is being put out from that field,” Williams said.

Arkansas law also protects power and fiber lines, utility poles, transformers, and substations from intentional damage.

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