O’FALLON, Mo. – Police in O’Fallon, MO, were able to catch two suspects breaking into a car with a drone around 3:30 a.m. Monday inside Busch Wildlife Preserve.
FOX 2 was able to hear police audio describing what investigators saw with the drone.
“He scaled a fence, eight-foot fence, (in the) Busch Wildlife area near Lake 34…appears to have lost his shoes and pants,” an officer said.
“It’s a game changer for our officers,” Brian Harr, O’Fallon Police Sgt., said. “The drones are certainly an officer safety tool, because we get more information to those officers they otherwise wouldn’t have—seeing things that the officers wouldn’t otherwise see.”
The drones are equipped with night vision. During the pursuit, police revealed confidence they’d get their suspects without putting themselves in unnecessary peril.
“They got a good canine track going and a drone up. Requesting all officers stay in their vehicles,” was also heard on police radio traffic.
Once the police canine had the suspects’ scent, it was almost over. It could be heard on the dispatch call: officers closing in with directions from the drone operator saying that the suspect was 200 feet in front, then 75 feet in front, 50 feet in front, then contact.
The radio traffic ends with two suspects in custody.
Sgt. Harr says O’Fallon Police credit three of their assets with assisting the officers in taking down:
Spike strips were deployed, causing the suspect vehicle to stop.
A night vision drone tracked the suspects after they ran.
Police canine Rogue helped police make final arrests.
Residents in Winghaven, where the car break-ins began, are thankful.
“(It is) amazing, obviously we look for our police to protect us, and this was full force protecting all of us,” Mary Beth Schearn, resident, said.
The case has been sent to the St. Charles County Prosecutor’s Office for possible criminal charges.
“The support we have in our community, giving us these assets to work,” Sgt. Harr said. “This is a great example of when we put these assets into play and we are able to get these suspects into custody safely and send the message—if you come out to O’Fallon, we’ll pursue the criminals.”
