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California Police Catch Suspect With Help of Drone

Officers with the Chico Police Department used a drone to make an arrest Friday when a man allegedly ran away from officers and into the brush near Little Chico Creek.

drones
(TNS) — Officers with the Chico Police Department used a drone to make an arrest Friday when a man allegedly ran away from officers and into the brush near Little Chico Creek.

Branden Thurston, 26, was walking between Humboldt Avenue and Little Chico Creek near the Humboldt Avenue Skate Park when spotted by officers. According to a press release issued Friday by the department, Thurston was wanted on a felony arrest warrant.

When the officers attempted to contact Thurston, he ran down into the creek area and into thorned bushes where he wasn't visible to officers. The release said the location made it difficult for officers or police K-9s to enter. At this point, a trained officer used a drone with thermal vision and a spotlight to find him. Thurston complied with officers' directions once he was discovered.

"This incident highlights how technology has helped to de-escalate situations, improve officer and community safety, and decrease the amount of staff time spent on these types of incidents," the release said. "Drone technology can be quickly deployed and provides real-time intelligence, which would otherwise be difficult to obtain through traditional means."

Thurston was arrested and taken into police custody.

© 2023 Chico Enterprise-Record, Calif. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.