Drone helps College Place Police Department officers arrest two suspects following chase.

On October 10th, 2024 the College Place Police Department (CPPD) drone team helped capture two suspects following a vehicle pursuit that began in Oregon. Around 1 AM, the suspects fled from Milton Freewater Police during an attempted traffic stop, crossing into Washington before crashing in a field.

Officers from the Walla Walla Police Department (WWPD) and CPPD responded. While one suspect was immediately arrested, the other fled on foot. Officer Tanner Harris of CPPD deployed a Skydio X10 and was able to locate the second suspect hiding in a nearby field with the drone’s night vision capabilities, guiding officers to make the arrest. “The CPPD drone program has been running for over a year with significant success,” says CPPD Chief Troy Tomaras.

“Drones are a force multiplier when you have limited resources. Drones can quickly locate suspects while improving safety of the officers.”

The WWPD took both suspects into custody without further incident, and the driver was charged with narcotics possession, felony eluding, and outstanding warrants.