A man in a red hoodie jumped over fences and swiveled through alleys near 165th Avenue in San Leandro, fleeing a suspected domestic violence incident. Above, a drone followed him, streaming live footage of his movements to pursuing police officers and leading them to a backyard where the suspect was hiding underneath a box.
This arrest last September came in part due to the Drone as First Responder (DFR) trial program at the Eden Township Substation of the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office. At a meeting last month, the Alameda County Board of Supervisors heard video testimony from the responding officer about the effectiveness of the drone involved in the chase.
“Because of the UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle), I didn’t have to worry about being ambushed or any threats close by because I had the eye in the sky,” he said…