California police are using drones to disarm people, make arrests

In a “nationwide first,” police officers used a drone to intercept a weapon from an armed suspect, signaling a potential shift in local law enforcement operations, California officials announced Monday. 

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In a June 22 video posted on the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office’s Instagram page, an officer wearing goggles can be seen operating a drone to retrieve a knife from an armed suspect hiding inside a cluttered house. “After not responding to negotiators, a drone was deployed inside the residence,” the post says. “Drone pilots located the suspect hiding in a corner of a garage” and then used a high-powered magnet attached to the drone to grab the knife out of the suspect’s hand. In the video — which is soundtracked by the “Mission: Impossible” theme song — the intercepted knife can be seen spinning around in the air as the drone carries it back to the deputies. 

According to the post, these drones can offer a barrier of protection to deputies forced to confront dangerous situations, and overall, these types of programs are becoming more prevalent in the state. 

In Yucaipa, officials launched a Drone as First Responder (DFR) pilot program on May 28, the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department announced this month. According to the release, drones have already been used to respond to over 100 calls for service, arriving before deputies for 71% of them. “The drones also contributed to 12 arrests, assisted in locating persons of interest on 37 occasions, and provided aerial overwatch during 44 incidents,” it continues, though details on how they assisted the police are unclear. The drones, manufactured by Skydio, were also used to locate a young person experiencing a mental health crisis and another person launching illegal fireworks. 

The Los Angeles Police Department says that about 1,500 police agencies across the U.S. use drone programs, and 58 of the agencies are in California. In 2018, the Chula Vista Police Department was the first to establish drones as first responders, and as far back as 2022, Fremont officials developed its own DFR program. In 2024, the Fremont City Council approved its deployment. According to Fremont officials, its agencies are some of the few in the country utilizing these types of drone programs.  

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“By providing deputies with timely and accurate information, the DFR program helps improve service to the community while promoting safer outcomes for both residents and first responders,” the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department said in the June news release.