In a supposed ânationwide firstâ use of drones to disarm a person, the Sacramento County Sheriffâs Office in California promoted a video showing how a small quadcopter drone used a dangling magnet to remove a knife from the hand of a motionless suspect.
The promotional video shared to Facebook and Instagram on June 22, 2026, uses the Mission: Impossible film franchise theme to dramatize video footage of the incident that took place earlier in the month, which involved what the video describes as a âfelony suspect armed with a knife and a firearmâ who âwas not responding to negotiators.â The sheriffâs office is just one among hundreds of US police departments and sheriffâs offices that have deployed camera-equipped drones to assist first responders.
In a Facebook post, the Sacramento County Sheriffâs Office described having surrounded the suspectâs residence with a SWAT team after the âknown felon and parolee-at-large was seen earlier with a firearm.â A first drone deployed to the scene located the suspect hiding in a corner of the garage, but also spotted the motionless suspect holding a knife in one outstretched arm.
