In the US, a suspect was first disarmed using a drone with a magnet

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office in the state of California has officially confirmed the first incident in the United States when a suspect was remotely disarmed using a drone. The operation was successful, proving the effectiveness of using unmanned technologies in potentially dangerous situations.

Operation details

The incident took place at the beginning of June, but footage demonstrating the technical capabilities of the drones in the field was made public only recently. According to the report, the suspect barricaded himself in the garage and did not respond to repeated demands by law enforcement officers to start negotiations. The man had a knife in his hands, which posed a direct threat.

How the drone helped neutralize the threat

The special operation took place in two stages using two different drones:

• The first unit, equipped with a high-resolution camera, conducted a reconnaissance of the premises and confirmed that the suspect was lying motionless, holding a knife in his hand.
• The second quadrocopter was specially equipped with a magnet suspended on a cable. The operator was able to grab the blade of the knife, wrest it from the man’s hand and take the cold weapon out of the garage, where it was later taken away by the police.

Discussion on the need for innovation

Despite its success, the technique caused mixed reactions. Experts note that the suspect does not resist in the video. Sheriff Jim Cooper suggested the man may have been under the influence of illegal substances while in a state of overdose. However, police use of drones is becoming commonplace: according to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, more than 1,800 departments across the country are already using UAVs to assess the situation and conduct pre-assault reconnaissance, minimizing the use of lethal force.