In what they called a “first in the nation,” a California sheriff’s office used a drone equipped with a magnet to disarm a wanted man, pulling a knife from his hand without risking the life of a single officer.
On Wednesday, the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office posted a video to social media showing how its officers used emerging technology to arrest 30-year-old Austin Carter, who was holed up inside his filthy home.
Carter was being pursued by law enforcement for violating his parole. According to the sheriff’s office, he is a registered sex offender who has a lengthy criminal history. On Thursday, a SWAT team arrived at Carter’s home to apprehend him, according to the sheriff’s office.
“Negotiators made repeated attempts to establish communication and have Carter, who was seen earlier with a firearm, surrender peacefully. They received no response,” the sheriff’s office said in a social media post.
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“[M]eet Buster! Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office’s new robotic K9 platform,” the sheriff’s office announced in the post.
Deputies flew the drone into Carter’s home and located him in the corner of his garage. Once they found him, they attached a powerful magnet to the drone in an attempt to wrest away the knife he was clutching.
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Footage from the drone shows it hovering right above Carter, who was lying down and unresponsive. Suddenly, the knife flew upward, out of his hand and onto the magnet.
After that, deputies used Buster, a robotic K9 unit, to remove all the obstacles in the garage so they could more easily get to Carter. They also used a large armored vehicle to provide support to officers.
In the video, two heavily armed officers could be seen dragging Carter out of the house as he writhed and tried to break free from their grip.
Once Carter was subdued, paramedics immediately rendered aid because authorities believed he consumed a large quantity of drugs while he had been barricaded inside the garage.
Carter was transported to a local hospital, and after he was medically cleared, he was taken to the Sacramento County Main Jail, where he is being held without bail. He faces multiple felony charges, including violating his parole conditions.
