Redmond police say a shoplifting suspect threatened a Target security guard with pepper spray on Aug. 4, then sprinted across the parking lot toward the neighboring Home Depot, only to be arrested within about five minutes of the first 911 call. The confrontation happened around 4:08 p.m. at the Target on 17700 NE 76th Street, and officers recovered nearly $500 in stolen property once the suspect surrendered and was taken into custody without further incident.
The department credits its Drone as First Responder program for the quick resolution. According to a statement from RedmondWaPD, the drone reached the Target ahead of ground units, streamed live aerial footage back to dispatch, and directed patrol officers straight to the fleeing suspect.
Drone Footage Leads Officers to a Home Depot Standoff
A search incident to the arrest turned up more than the stolen merchandise, the department said. Officers recovered the pepper spray used in the initial confrontation, drug paraphernalia, a container of suspected fentanyl, and an illegal spring-loaded knife. The case has been assigned number 26-022781.
The suspect's brief flight followed a well-worn path: the Target sits in a commercial corridor immediately adjacent to Home Depot, according to Malls and Retail Wiki, letting fleeing suspects cross the parking lot between the two big-box stores in seconds.
Pepper Spray Confrontation Escalates Charges to Felony Robbery
Threatening security with pepper spray while trying to keep hold of stolen goods carries serious legal weight in Washington. Under state law, retail theft involving force or the threat of force to retain property or overcome resistance can be elevated to felony robbery, according to Washington State Courts, which is how a roughly $500 theft became a robbery case.
The other items found in the search carry their own statutory penalties. Possessing a spring-blade knife, or switchblade, is a gross misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $5,000 fine under Washington State Legislature rules, while knowing possession of a controlled substance like fentanyl is a gross misdemeanor carrying up to 180 days in jail for a first offense under a separate statute the legislature revised in 2023.
A Familiar Scene: Same Target, Same Drone, Six Weeks Earlier
This wasn't the first time Redmond's drone unit has chased down a suspect at this exact Target. Six weeks earlier, on June 22, police used the same DFR technology to track a shoplifting suspect accused of stealing $330 in merchandise, following him via live aerial video to a nearby hotel and then onto a bus before officers moved in, as reported by KIRO 7 News Seattle.
Washington's First Full-Time Drone-As-First-Responder Program
Redmond launched its Drone as First Responder program in April 2024, becoming the first law enforcement agency in Washington — and the Pacific Northwest — to run a full-time DFR operation, according to the City of Redmond. The system sends a remotely operated drone to 911 calls, often putting an aerial camera over a scene before officers arrive on foot.
The speed advantage is measurable. Department data cited by Skydio shows Redmond's drones reach emergency scenes across the city's 14-square-mile coverage area in an average of 88 to 90 seconds — roughly 48% faster than patrol cars — and cancel the need for a ground unit response in about 19% to 25% of calls.
The program grew again in December 2024, when Redmond added five autonomous docking stations from BRINC and Skydio after securing FAA approval for Beyond Visual Line of Sight operations, per AirMed&Rescue. Those pre-positioned docks keep batteries charged and allow the department to launch drones back-to-back without delay.
Chief Darrell Lowe's Tech-Driven Redmond Police Department
The drone program reflects a broader push toward high-tech policing under Chief Darrell Lowe, who has led the department since 2019 after 27 years with the Santa Monica Police Department, per GeekWire. Redmond's 93 sworn officers cover a city of more than 82,000 residents, and Lowe has leaned on drones and AI tools to stretch that patrol coverage.
The effort has drawn national attention. In September 2025, Redmond Police won the Aerial Achievement Award for DFR Program Excellence at Skydio's Ascend Conference, according to the City of Redmond, which recognizes agencies demonstrating real-world safety impacts through autonomous drone technology.
Redmond's drone unit has made headlines before. Hoodline previously reported on the DFR program after it tracked a suspect across SR-520 in May, and again after it tracked down a Redmond Way suspect in April.
