Photo: Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office successfully used a drone equipped with a magnet to disarm a wanted parolee during a standoff last week, marking what officials believe may be a first-of-its-kind tactic in the nation. Deputies arrested 30-year-old Austin Carter after he barricaded himself inside a home.
According to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, Carter, a registered sex offender with a violent criminal history, was wanted by the Folsom Police Department and had been involved in previous barricade incidents. Deputies attempted to arrest him, but he ran inside the home and hid in the garage. SWAT deputies surrounded the residence and evacuated nearby neighbors as a precaution.
Sergeant Edward Igoe explained that Carter had been seen with a firearm earlier in the day and did not respond to negotiators while hiding in the garage. When deputies located him using a drone, they discovered him lying on the ground, apparently unconscious from drug use, with a knife still gripped in his hand.
Deputy Tom Lee, the sheriff's office drone pilot, said the team faced a dilemma. "We determined with the drones that he was still alive. He was still breathing. And the aspect of going in there with a deputy seemed too dangerous," Lee said. One SWAT team member suggested attaching a magnet to the drone to remove the weapon.
The innovative approach worked. Lee flew the drone into the garage, attached the magnet to the knife, and successfully pulled it away from Carter's hand. "Ultimately, he did reanimate after his copious use of drugs, and we continued to try to talk him out. But now at least he no longer had the knife in his hand," Igoe said.
With the immediate threat reduced, deputies deployed K-9 Bo, who apprehended Carter without any officers being injured. Carter received treatment for a dog bite following his arrest.
Carter faces multiple felony charges, including violation of parole.
The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office shared a video of the drone in action on social media.