HIGH POINT, NC — High Point police arrested two people, including a 15-year-old, after responding to a report of a group dressed in black and wearing ski masks walking around an apartment complex. Officers later recovered three firearms, one of them described by police as a ghost gun.
The call came in Friday evening at Newgate Garden Apartments on Grayson Street. Police said the department’s Drone as First Responder Program was used to help track the people as they ran, giving officers a live view of where they went.
Drone footage helped officers follow the group after the suspects ran
Patrol officers arrived at about 6:05 p.m. Friday, according to police. When officers got there, everyone in the group took off, but the drone pilot continued to see them from above and relayed their locations to officers on the ground.
Police said one person was seen throwing something over a fence. A K9 officer later found a semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine in that area. The department said the rapid updates from the drone helped officers locate some of the suspects within minutes.
Police recovered a mini Draco, a Glock with a switch and a ghost gun
Investigators said they recovered three firearms during the response. Those included a mini Draco and a Glock fitted with a conversion device, also known as a switch, which can turn a semiautomatic handgun into a fully automatic weapon.
Police also said one of the weapons was a ghost gun, meaning it had no serial number. The department did not say which recovered firearm matched each suspect, but the weapons were part of the evidence gathered during the apartment complex response.
High Point man faces felony weapons charges and child endangerment count
Anton Pratt, 28, of High Point, was charged with felony possession of weapon of mass destruction and contributing to the delinquency of a minor, police said. He was taken to the Guilford County Jail in High Point and received a $25,000 bond.
Police did not release additional details about the events that led to the charges, but the arrest came after officers said they found the firearms and identified two suspects in the area. The department said Pratt was arrested without incident.
Juvenile petitions filed against 15-year-old from High Point
Police also filed juvenile petitions against a 15-year-old from High Point. The teen is accused of felony possession of weapon of mass destruction and three counts of possession of a firearm by a minor.
Officers were granted a secure custody order for the teenager, who was transported to the Juvenile Detention Center in Greensboro. Police said the arrest also happened without incident after the earlier foot pursuit and drone-assisted search.
Department says Drone as First Responder program is close to full rollout
Chief Curtis Cheeks III said the case showed how the department’s drone program can improve situational awareness for officers handling fast-moving calls. He said the drone stayed on the suspects after they ran and helped ground units find them quickly.
The High Point Police Department said the Drone as First Responder Program is expected to be fully operational in the coming weeks. Officials said the system is meant to help officers understand the nature, scale and scope of an incident before they arrive, while mission-specific flights keep cameras focused only on the active scene.
