On the morning of April 6, Redmond police say a man walked up to a vehicle on the 15900 block of Redmond Way, near the entrance to a shopping center parking lot, and allegedly struck another person in the head through an open window. A department drone was launched, quickly zeroed in on someone who matched the suspect description, and officers report that the man initially refused to follow their commands before they took him into custody without further incident. At the scene, officers say they found multiple bank cards and identification belonging to other people, and the suspect was arrested for assault and booked into jail.
All of that comes from a summary the Redmond Police Department posted on X. According to the Redmond WA Police, the drone located a person matching the suspect description, the individual “refused initially to comply with commands,” and officers ultimately took the suspect into custody “without incident.” The post adds that investigators recovered multiple bank cards and identifications belonging to other people and that the suspect was “transported and booked into jail.”
How Redmond’s Drone Program Put Eyes in the Sky in Seconds
Redmond launched its Drone as First Responder program in April 2024 to send unmanned aerial systems to 911 calls and beam back live aerial video before ground units arrive, according to City of Redmond. The city says these DFR flights help officers gauge safety conditions, document scenes, and, when appropriate, cancel ground units so patrol resources can be used elsewhere. Industry data from Skydio report that Redmond’s DFR average time to scene for priority calls is about 88 seconds, which is roughly 48% faster than typical officer response times.
The program has already pulled in outside recognition and new infrastructure, with Redmond touted for DFR excellence and adding docking stations that extend citywide drone coverage. Coverage of the department’s award and expansion is detailed by industry outlet AirMed & Rescue…