NYPD body camera and drone video released Saturday shows officers in Belmont using an eye in the sky to tail two suspects after reports of gunfire, then closing in on them and recovering two loaded handguns. The footage walks viewers through the real-time chase, from aerial tracking to the arrests on the ground.
According to News 12 New York, officers responded to a shots fired call around 11 p.m. on May 21 near 2130 Washington Ave and launched a department drone to help search the area. Operators stayed locked on two people moving through the neighborhood while relaying directions to officers on the street, and the search turned up two loaded firearms, including one found inside a park. Police released the footage as a showcase of how the technology can support active investigations.
Drone Aided the Arrest, Police Say
Video aired by CBS New York captures drone pilots calmly calling out locations as patrol units work through crowded Bronx blocks below. The NYPD credited the aerial surveillance with helping officers keep the pair in sight and move in for the arrests, something that is far tougher to pull off from street level alone.
Two Minors Taken Into Custody
A 13-year-old boy and a 17-year-old male were taken into custody and charged with multiple counts of criminal possession of a weapon and trespassing, according to News 12 New York. Officers recovered two loaded handguns and continued processing the scene while investigators canvassed the area for witnesses. NYPD officials described the edited video package as public information material meant to show how drones can help recover evidence and improve officer safety.
Policy and Privacy Questions Linger
The NYPD has been expanding a "Drone as First Responder" initiative that dispatches unmanned aircraft to priority calls, a rollout detailed in coverage of the NYC drone first responder rollout. Privacy advocates have raised alarms over how long footage is stored and how it is used in court, concerns outlined by The Record. Those questions are likely to grow louder as the department leans more heavily on aerial tools to speed up responses and get guns off the street.
For Belmont residents the newly released video is both a reassurance and a warning, a look at what high-tech policing can do and a reminder of the surveillance that comes with it. CBS New York reported that police directly credited the drone with aiding the arrests, and investigators are still examining the seized firearms and the circumstances that led to the gunfire reports in the first place.
