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Wichita police describe drone-assisted search and custody in shooting response
Summary
A public safety spokesperson described a police response in which officers located a shooting victim, used drone footage to track a fleeing suspect through backyards and guided officers to a safe arrest; the suspect faces multiple felony charges and a recovered stolen handgun, police said.
At the mayor's briefing, a public safety spokesperson outlined an incident in which officers responded to a disturbance and located a shooting victim who was taken by EMS to a local medical facility.
According to the spokesperson, officers quickly investigated and used drone technology to track a suspect who fled on foot through backyards and over obstacles at night. "From the air, officers had eyes on the suspect as he bolted through backyards jumping fences and scrambling over obstacles in the dark," the spokesperson said. Real-time information from the drone helped officers tighten the perimeter and led to the suspect's compliance and safe arrest.
Police said the suspect was arrested on charges including aggravated (charges specified by police) and felonies related to burglary, kidnapping and possession of a firearm by a felon; a stolen handgun was recovered at the scene. The spokesperson framed the operation as an example of how technology and teamwork can improve safety and deescalation for officers and the public.
The briefing did not provide the suspect's name, the victim's condition beyond being transported to a local medical facility, or specific case numbers. Charges and investigative details will be handled by the Wichita Police Department and the Sedgwick County District Attorney's Office as the case progresses.
