A routine traffic stop in Atmore on Wednesday turned into a rolling gunfire incident and a pasture-side takedown, ending only after officers used a drone to box in a Pensacola man hiding in a field, according to police. Officers say the driver fired a gun during the chase before his vehicle bogged down in a pasture, where a subsequent search turned up crack cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia inside the car.
According to WEAR‑TV, the encounter started when officers pulled the vehicle over and the driver eased into a gas station lot. A female passenger got out, but instead of sticking around, the driver allegedly hit the gas and took off, sparking a pursuit. The lead officer reported seeing the man fire a handgun from the vehicle during the chase. The car then continued to the end of Martin Luther King Drive at Northgate Road, where it left the pavement, entered a field and became stuck.
Drone-Directed Surrender In A Pasture
With the vehicle disabled and the driver on the run, the Atmore Police Department deployed an unmanned aerial system equipped with FLIR infrared imaging to scour the area. The drone’s live video feed picked up the suspect reportedly hiding out in the pasture. Officers used the drone’s built-in public-address system to broadcast commands, ordering the man to surrender. He complied and was taken into custody in the field without further incident, per FOX10.
What Officers Say They Found And The Charges
Investigators say a search of the stuck vehicle uncovered crack cocaine, marijuana and drug paraphernalia. Authorities identified the driver as Dyllan Thompson of Pensacola. He was charged with attempt to commit murder, attempting to elude law enforcement, possession of a controlled substance (crack cocaine), second-degree possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to Local 12. Thompson was transported to the Escambia County Detention Center.
Drone Policing Across The Gulf Coast
Atmore’s use of an infrared-equipped drone to zero in on a suspect mirrors a broader trend along the Gulf Coast, where unmanned aircraft have become regular tools for searches and for policing contraband. Recent reports describe drones being used in attempts to drop items near Holman Correctional Facility and in other prison-related incidents, highlighting how the same technology is now woven into both corrections work and street-level policing in the region, per WBRC and WSFA.
Legal Note
As WEAR‑TV pointed out, Thompson is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The charges outlined against him include both felonies and misdemeanors and will move forward through the county court system.
