Vancouver police use drone to locate man suspected of deadly stranger attacks
Number of VPD drones in service has jumped from three to more than a dozen over the past three years
On Wednesday morning, Vancouver police used a drone to help track down a suspect involved in two brutal attacks downtown that left one man dead and another with a severed hand.
The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) has been utilizing drones since 2019. Initially, the department had three training drones and three for operational purposes. The fleet has since expanded to more than a dozen.
"We use them to assist with patrol calls, Emergency Response Unit operations, and motor vehicle collision investigations," said VPD spokesperson Const. Tania Visintin last month. "We also deploy them during arrests to ensure officer and public safety. Recently, we used a drone to locate a lost kayaker by identifying their exact location."
Major police situation Olympic Village Beer Island. ERT and drone used to capture suspect. @VancouverPD #vancouver pic.twitter.com/VBsrdbJ0Xd
— Shawn Miller (@DailyShawn) September 4, 2024
On Wednesday, VPD Chief Adam Palmer explained that a drone was deployed following the downtown attacks and played a crucial role in tracking down the 34-year-old suspect near Olympic Village.
The incidents began at 7:40 a.m. when a man was assaulted outside the Holy Rosary Cathedral on Dunsmuir Street, where police found him with a severed hand. Ten minutes later, another man was discovered dead outside the Queen Elizabeth Theatre.
Shortly afterward, a passerby walking their dog near Olympic Village reported being threatened by another man. The VPD drone was used to help locate the suspect on Habitat Island in False Creek.
