Jan. 7, 2026 — Redmond, Wash. Redmond police responded to a reported vehicle break-in near Avondale Way Northeast and Redmond Way around 12:20 p.m., deploying a Drone as First Responder (DFR) that located a suspect hiding nearby and directed officers to his position for a detention without incident.
A witness told officers he observed a man breaking into a truck and rummaging through the back before walking toward businesses in the 17200 block of Redmond Way, according to the Redmond Police Department. The witness described the suspect to aid the search.
🚨DFR technology leads officers to a car prowl suspect🚨
On Jan. 7, around 12:20 p.m., officers responded to a reported vehicle break-in near Avondale Way NE and Redmond Way. Upon arrival, a witness told officers he observed a man breaking into a truck and rummaging in the back. The witness described the suspect to police and stated the man walked toward the businesses in the 17200 block of Redmond Way.
To aid the search, a Drone as a First Responder pilot deployed a drone, quickly located the suspect, and assisted patrol officers on the ground to his location. Officers arrived and detained the suspect without incident.
Check out the footage ⬇️ to see how our team works together to keep Redmond safe.
The department shared drone footage of the operation on Facebook and Instagram, highlighting the coordinated effort.
KIRO 7 News and MSN News covered the incident based on the police statement, confirming the DFR’s role in the rapid response.
The arrest aligns with Redmond’s ongoing use of DFR technology, which has been highlighted in prior cases, such as a shoplifter pursuit and other deployments noted on the city’s Civic Alerts page.
Local community discussions on Reddit’s r/redmond and a LinkedIn post referenced the police social media announcement.
