This my main question, more so than what might be wrong with taking the image:
Why did he run? I've been confronted by security guards several times and each time, they asked me to go away. They didn't take the drone, didn't take the SD card or even look at the footage, did not call the police or the FAA, I didn't receive a fine -- nothing. If I was on private property, they told me so and asked me to leave, so I did and always have. This includes at least 2 incidents with federal protections, including one with the FAA itself.
There was a time or two when I found myself being watched and thought "okay, time to pack up and leave", but there was never a "chase" (your word in the OP).
Chris