When you think of police tactics, what comes to mind?
For most people, it's probably something out of an 80s beat cop show - guns drawn, cigars, and cunning stunts to get justice served.
But, like everything else in this world, times change. And when times change, you either change with them, or you get left behind.
And that's what these Sacramento cops have ended up doing - they've changed the playbook itself in a nationwide first.
As reported by the New York Post, the wild incident happened in Sacramento County earlier this month.
A person who had violated their parole and who was wanted on felony charges had holed himself up in his home. Cops were told he was likely armed, possibly with a firearm.
Following this information, the SWAT unit was sent out to surround his home, according to the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office.
And that's when the high-tech shenanigans started.
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The Police Sent a Drone In There
When they tried to make contact with the suspect, there was no response. They sent out a small drone to try and get some sort of contact with him.
The footage on the drone's camera shows it cautiously roaming around the house. It found the suspect, who appeared to be slumped on the floor armed with a knife.
Officers couldn't be sure that the suspect wasn't just faking it to try and ambush the officers. So they had to think of something a little more... weird.
A drone officer ended up suggesting they add a high-powered magnet in order to swipe the knife off of him. And it worked, in no small part thanks to the pure precision of the piloting officer.
The footage shows the drone teetering over the knife before managing to lift it.
And it was a happy ending (for everyone but the suspect, at least!). The cops managed to get into the building and detain the suspect without any issues.
The sheriff's office released a statement confirming it as a groundbreaking situation. "In a nationwide first, a drone was successfully used to disarm an armed suspect, helping bring the incident to a safe resolution," they wrote.
