A high-speed escape attempt by a local teenager in Buckeye ended with an innovative capture thanks to police drone technology. Late Saturday night, the Buckeye Police Department (BPD) used a drone to safely track down and arrest a suspect after a traffic violation escalated into a felony flight.
According to the City of Buckeye’s official news release, it all started when officers, conducting traffic enforcement near Verrado Way and Sunrise, saw a 16-year-old male on an electric motorcycle blow through a stop sign. The young suspect accelerated away upon noticing the police vehicle behind him. BPD responded by deploying a drone to follow the suspect as he maneuvered through public spaces, including a park and a golf course path, eventually going the wrong way on Victory Blvd.
An attempt to pull him over near Pasadena and 206th Ave failed when the teen sped off once more. However, the drone continued to relay his location to the officers. After a short pursuit, police found the suspect on foot, pushing his electric motorcycle, leading to the arrest, as detailed by the City of Buckeye.
The teenager now faces serious legal trouble. He was booked into jail on charges including felony flight, reckless driving, and a curfew violation. He also received citations for not possessing a motorcycle endorsement on his driver's license, and operating a vehicle without current registration, or insurance, as per the City of Buckeye.
