JACKSONVILLE — Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office police said a drone helped them track down a man with a gun who smashed the windows of woman’s home during an apparent break-in attempt.
JSO said its Drone as First Responder program located the suspect as he fled and entered a nearby home - all while the drone fed information to police as they were en route.
“In a life-or-death situation, every second counts,” a post on JSO’s Facebook page read. “And that’s why we use our (DFR) program to locate suspects faster and keep your family safe.”
Police, which are investing in new technologies, said they received the call last month as the woman was arguing with the man she said smashed her window as he held a gun.
The woman was able to give the dispatcher a description of what the man was wearing before she hung up, police said.
Video on the Facebook page shows the drone arriving on scene within seconds and recording a suspect wearing the exact outfit the woman had described.
The suspect can be seen leaving the woman’s house, going up and down several streets in the Grand Park area, and arriving at a home on 15th Street West.
Police confront and arrest the man at the home, saying the chase and apprehension took about 10 minutes.
“Our drone followed him every step of the way,” the post said. “Patrol officers knew exactly where he was to arrest him.”
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