A woman in her 20s who is in the late stages of pregnancy told 911 that her husband came home intoxicated, grew angry and kicked her in the abdomen, Kent police said. The call cut off after a dispatcher heard a male voice in the background, and when 911 called back into the home, the victim said her husband was right next to her. Officers were already on their way, and this time they brought a drone.
A domestic-violence call came in around 12:50 a.m., and Kent patrol officers responded, according to the Kent Police Department. While still en route, officers sent a drone ahead to observe the house. In this case, the drone caught the suspect walking away from the back of the house and into a nearby tree line before officers ever reached the door.
Drone Guides Officers to Suspect Hiding in the Trees
Kent Officer Bertolacci relayed updated location information from the drone operator as the suspect moved through the trees, per the department's account. Officers Flowers found the man attempting to hide there, and he was initially uncooperative, police said. He was taken into custody as additional officers arrived to assist, and the victim, who reported pain after the assault, was taken to a local hospital to make sure the pregnancy was okay; Puget Sound Fire evaluated her at the scene.
The arrest echoes a similar case from May 2024, when Kent police used a drone alongside an Auburn K-9 team to help capture an 18-year-old SeaTac man wanted on suspicion of second-degree assault and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to the Kent Reporter. In that earlier incident, a Kent officer deployed the drone to feed directive information to ground patrol units and the K-9 team while the dog tracked the suspect. Domestic violence calls in Kent have also led to tense standoffs before: The Kent Reporter reported that one man was arrested after a domestic-violence investigation turned into a roughly two-hour negotiation at a Kent apartment, with alleged offenses including second-degree assault, residential burglary involving domestic violence, felony violation of a court order, and second-degree taking a motor vehicle without permission.
Kent Weighs a Bigger Role for Drones in 2027
The arrest comes as Kent considers expanding how often drones get involved before officers arrive. The department is weighing a drone-first-responder pilot program for 2027, the Kent Reporter noted in its coverage of the police chief's remarks on the proposal.
Resources for People Experiencing Domestic Violence
Kent police are urging anyone experiencing household abuse to call 911. The department also provided its non-emergency dispatch line, 253-852-2121, for reporting previous assaults. People in Kent can text 911.
The 988 line and the Domestic Abuse Women's Network are also options for people seeking support.
