Arvada Police Department in Colorado used its new Skydio X10 Drone First Responder program on June 17, 2026 to track and arrest a shoplifting suspect who fled on foot from a Target store, the agency confirmed in a statement. The drone was already airborne when the call came in.
A loss prevention officer at the Target near 78th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard reported the active theft at roughly 7:45 p.m. The suspect ran east on foot when confronted by store security.
The Skydio X10 picked him up almost immediately and followed him across multiple blocks to an Arby’s at 80th Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard. Responding officers were directed straight to the restaurant.
Once inside, officers identified the suspect, confirmed an active arrest warrant on file, and took him into custody without incident. He was booked for allegedly stealing more than $340 worth of merchandise.
How The Bust Played Out
The case is a clean illustration of what DFR is designed for. The drone was already on patrol when dispatch routed the call, which is the entire premise of “drone first responder” rather than “drone called to the scene”.
A foot pursuit through a strip mall and across two major Arvada intersections is exactly the situation where ground units lose visual contact in seconds. An overhead camera does not…