A Dearborn police drone helped officers locate two people after a vehicle fled an attempted traffic stop near Michigan Avenue and Schaefer Road, according to FOX 2 Detroit’s report on footage police released Monday, Oct. 5.
The footage combines drone, dashcam and body-camera views of the Sept. 12 nighttime incident, FOX 2 reported.
According to FOX 2’s account, a white sedan made a U-turn and drove away as officers attempted the stop. The drone later located two people and the vehicle between garages.
An officer monitoring the drone camera radioed that the people were trying to cover the vehicle with a tarp, FOX 2 reported. Officers then arrived and took both people into custody, according to the report.
In an Instagram post accompanying the video, Dearborn police said the drone allowed officers to monitor the vehicle from a safe distance, reducing the need to remain in close pursuit. The department said real-time updates helped officers coordinate their response and take a person into custody safely.
The city announced its Drone as First Responder program Feb. 2, describing it as Michigan’s first full-scale deployment. The city said Skydio drones could launch from strategic locations and reach any part of Dearborn within 2.5 minutes. FOX 2 reported that the department has six drones.
The city’s April 16 FY2027 budget workshop presentation lists a program cost of $1,472,009 over five years, funded through forfeiture funds.
The department links to a Drone as First Responder dashboard through its police services page.
FOX 2’s report does not identify the two people taken into custody or state whether charges were filed.
