City police got an assist from drone technology in making an arrest early Tuesday morning.
A 40-year-old North Bay man is facing several charges including theft, flight from police and dangerous driving.
The North Bay Police Service says around 5 am on Dec. 5, an officer saw a person travelling on Pinewood Park Drive on an ATV that had been used in two thefts at Lakeshore Drive businesses over the past month.
After police attempted to stop the vehicle, they say the driver sped away and got stuck in a snowbank on a trail.
Police say the driver then fled on foot into a wooded area but was located with the help of drone technology (video below).
“The use of drone technology has greatly improved our ability to locate and arrest suspects who attempt to evade arrest by running into wooded areas or into the darkness,” says Jeff Warner, Inspector of Operations. “Our Drone operators are trained in the use of our FLIR equipped Drones to monitor the activities and direction of travel of the suspect while directing our members on the ground to the suspect’s location. The powerful lighting can illuminate a wide area increasing officer safety by improving visibility as our officers close in on a suspect to make an arrest”.
An edged weapon was also seized.
The accused was held for a bail hearing.
