A high-speed run across Redmond ended at an apartment complex after police used spike strips and the city’s drone program to track a driver from SR-520 into downtown, according to the Redmond Police Department. Officers say the early-morning incident on April 23 started when the driver ignored attempts to pull the car over, then escalated into a series of dangerous moves that included running red lights, drifting into oncoming traffic and apparently trying to bait officers by flashing high beams. Multiple drones kept eyes on the vehicle until officers moved in for a high-risk stop and arrested the driver without further incident.
How Police Tracked The Vehicle Across The City
According to Redmond Police, officers first tried to stop the vehicle after spotting it with no license plates. Instead of pulling over, the driver allegedly ignored emergency lights and sirens and accelerated well above the posted speed limit. The department says the motorist blew through red lights, made risky turns and steered into oncoming traffic while traveling on State Route 520 and through downtown Redmond.
With patrol cars holding back from a full pursuit, police say multiple drones launched from docking stations around the city and maintained continuous visual contact with the car. Officers then deployed spike strips at an apartment complex and disabled the vehicle. A coordinated high-risk stop followed, and the driver was taken into custody. Police reported finding an open alcoholic beverage in the car and said the driver, described as under the legal drinking age and operating on a suspended license, was investigated for DUI and booked on a charge of eluding a police vehicle.
Redmond's Drones As First Responders
The city rolled out its Drones as First Responders program in April 2024 to provide officers with aerial video before patrol units arrive on scene. The Redmond Police Department’s 2024 annual report notes that drones were able to reach incidents in under 90 seconds and responded to hundreds of calls last year. Roughly 25 percent of DFR flights canceled the need for a patrol response, a capability officials say helps balance public safety with limited officer availability.
Why Officers Avoided A Freeway Pursuit
The department’s vehicle pursuit policy instructs officers to weigh the need to catch a suspect against the risk to the public. The guidelines allow alternatives such as trailing a suspect at a safer speed or relying on technology like drones and GPS taggers instead of engaging in a high-speed chase. That framework helps explain why officers may skip an active pursuit when a driver’s behavior is considered too hazardous and instead opt for tactics such as spike strips and coordinated high-risk stops to limit potential harm.
Legal Consequences
Under Washington law, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle can be charged as a class C felony when a driver “willfully fails or refuses to immediately bring his or her vehicle to a stop” and drives recklessly while trying to escape, according to RCW 46.61.024. Having an open or partially consumed alcoholic beverage in the passenger area of a vehicle is a traffic infraction under RCW 46.61.519, and minors can face additional penalties under RCW 66.44.270, the state liquor code.
DFR Is Now A Regular Alternative To Pursuit
Redmond police have leaned on drones before. KIRO 7 reported a 2025 incident in which a drone followed a shoplifting suspect onto SR-520 and helped officers locate the vehicle, and local coverage has described other recent DFR deployments around the city. Those cases, combined with the city’s reported FAA waiver and network of drone docking stations, have allowed police to maintain long-duration aerial tracking when a direct, high-speed pursuit is considered too risky for the public.
Police have not released the name of the driver arrested in the April 23 case. In its social media post about the incident, the department repeated its stated core values of “respect, professionalism, and dedication” and reminded residents that its account is not monitored around the clock. For any incident in progress, officers say the safest move is still the simplest one: call 911.
