Police tout using drone to disarm incapacitated person in 'nationwide first'

The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office in California has released a promotional video showing a small quadcopter drone using a dangling magnet to disarm a motionless suspect. The office calls it a "nationwide first" in using a drone to disarm a person.

The video, posted to Facebook and Instagram on June 22, 2026, uses the Mission: Impossible film theme to dramatize the incident. It shows the suspect, described as a "felony suspect armed with a knife and a firearm," lying motionless. According to the sheriff's office, the suspect was a known felon and parolee-at-large who had been seen with a firearm earlier. A SWAT team surrounded his residence, and a first drone located him hiding in a corner of the garage, holding a knife in one outstretched arm.

A second, smaller drone equipped with a magnet on a cable flew into the garage. The video shows the suspect lying facedown on a chair or sofa, still clutching the knife. The drone used the magnet to grab the knife by the blade and pull it free. The drone then flew outside with the dangling knife, allowing officers to retrieve it.

The sheriff's office praised the "incredible display of creativity, skill and precision by the drone pilot." However, some Facebook comments noted the suspect was not moving. Vic Moss, CEO of the Drone Service Providers Alliance, wrote: "The dude was comatose. You could’ve disarmed him with a marshmallow." Sheriff Jim Cooper said the suspect may have overdosed, but the drone possibly saved a life by avoiding lethal force.

This incident highlights the growing use of drones by U.S. police. The Electronic Frontier Foundation's Atlas of Surveillance lists over 1,800 police departments operating drones. The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office reported 18 drones in its 2025 inventory, and in September 2025, county supervisors approved the purchase of 27 more drones at $5,000 each as part of a $1 million package.