In the fall of 2017, in Peru, Illinois, an armed suspect
has barricaded himself inside a suburban home after firing at police officers.
The apparent suspect’s emotional instability, the fact that the suspect was
former military with explosives experience and the threat he made of placing
IEDs around the house are making the situation worse. Well over 150 public
safety personnel surround the house. Fortunately for the tactical teams and
emergency response crew, the suspect is willing to negotiate.
Calling for Help
As the day wore on, the incident commander knew that the
coming night would only complicate the situation. He asked his team what
options they had. Chief Ed Rogers, of the Utica Fire Department, immediately
thought of the Lynwood Fire Department and their UAS operations program.
Thermal imaging paired with a clear aerial view of the house would provide
acute situational awareness in case the suspect made a run for it.
After receiving the call, Keenan Newton, Lieutenant
and UAS coordinator of the Lynwood FD, arrived on site before dusk. As he
and his team began unloading their equipment, the suspect told the negotiator
that his phone was low on battery. Negotiators knew they had to keep talking
with the suspect to help ensure a peaceful outcome. It was a tense moment.
Everyone anticipated the situation intensifying unless the suspect was provided
a new phone. Something had to be done.
The first attempt to deliver a phone with a law
enforcement robot failed. As it had a technical failure. The incident commander
looked at Chief Rogers and asked if the phone could be delivered with a drone.
“Of course we can, we’re firemen,” Chief Rogers responded.
Keenan got to work immediately. Utilizing a drop release
system, a remote-controlled drop mechanism used for deliveries, on a DJI M600
Pro drone, he would attempt to swing the phone into the suspect’s bathroom
window. Two Inspire 1 drones were flown nearby to help spot and guide the drop,
as well as record the delivery. The cell phone was tied to a rope, and within
minutes the drone was hovering over the house. Approaching carefully, Keenan
successfully positioned the cell phone just outside of a window and swung it
towards the bathroom window until the suspect grabbed it.
No comments:
Post a Comment