Desert Hot Springs Police Chief discusses drone operation that led to arrest
Shay Lawson
DESERT HOT SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) – Steven Shaw, Desert Hot Springs Chief of Police, is releasing new details after the department used a drone to arrest a wanted felon.
He said it happened on Saturday when officers were investigating a serious elder abuse case.
“They had received information on some suspects in a suspect vehicle,” Shaw said. “They did locate that vehicle at a location in Desert Hot Springs.”
Shaw said that’s when an officer licensed and certified to deploy drones launched one over the house.
“Several people, we think they probably saw a police car that was parked down the street, started to run out the back of the house,” Shaw said. “That’s when the officers located that one individual that you see in the drone footage that matched the description of a person that we were looking for and then watched that person actually hide in that junk pile in that backyard area.”
Shaw said this technology is keeping officers safe.
“It gives the officer more information so that they know what they’re going into,” Shaw said. “Having the drone overhead, giving real time information.”
The elder abuse case is still ongoing Shaw said.
“The person in the video was arrested,” Shaw said. “He ended up not being the subject particularly that we were looking for in the elder abuse case.”
He said the man officers did arrest was reportedly a wanted felon.
“He had several warrants out for his arrest,” Shaw said. “He had been evading police for a long time. We finally caught up with him on that day.”
Stay with News Channel 3 to learn more about how drones are assisting with operation in the full report at 10 and 11 p.m.