Commerce City police say a department drone helped officers pull off a high-risk traffic stop after a family of five reported that a driver pointed what looked like a handgun at them during a road-rage encounter on Thursday.
According to the department, a Drone as a first responder was launched from the Real-Time Crime Center and quickly locked onto the suspect vehicle. Guided by the live video feed, officers moved in, conducted what they described as a "high-risk traffic stop," and had the driver step out of the car with hands raised before taking that person into custody for further investigation into possible felony menacing.
Police say they later recovered a BB-style pistol that closely resembled a Glock and had spike strips staged nearby in case the driver tried to make a run for it.
Drone gave officers eyes from above
The drone was piloted remotely from the department’s Real-Time Crime Center as part of Commerce City’s Drone as First Responder program, the city says. According to Commerce City, the aircraft can be deployed in seconds to stream aerial video of active incidents back to officers on the ground.
Reporting by Denver7 notes the program is designed to boost situational awareness so officers can avoid dangerous vehicle pursuits when possible.
Department posted photos and timeline
In a Facebook post that included photos, the department said a family of five reported that an aggressor had pointed a handgun at them. After the drone tracked the vehicle, officers "conducted a high-risk traffic stop," and the driver got out with his hands up, according to the post.
The same post says the driver was taken into custody for "further investigation into felony menacing charges," and that officers recovered a BB-style gun that looked like a Glock. Police also had spike strips set up as a precaution in case the car took off. As the department wrote on Facebook, the drone was ready to follow the vehicle, so a risky chase would not be necessary.
What the law says about menacing
Under Colorado law, menacing is generally a misdemeanor. It becomes a Class 5 felony if a deadly weapon is used or even just represented, according to the Colorado Revised Statutes.
Legal summaries and the statute itself explain that pretending an object is a weapon can still qualify as felony menacing, even if it later turns out to be a replica or BB gun, per Colorado Revised Statutes §18-3-206.
Program, records and public concern
City records show the Drone as First Responder program was rolled out alongside an expanded network of license-plate readers and the Real-Time Crime Center. During council discussions on those contracts, some officials and residents raised questions about privacy, how long footage would be stored, and how data might be shared.
The city’s meeting documents describe the Paladin drone contract and spell out built-in recording limits, while earlier coverage has highlighted other arrests where drones played a role, according to Commerce City meeting records and a Hoodline report detailing how a heat-seeking drone nabs knife attack suspect.
Police have not yet released the driver’s name or said whether formal charges have been filed. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Commerce City Police Department tip line at 303-289-3626, according to the city’s news pages. We have requested additional details from CCPD and will update this story if the department releases more information.
