HIGH POINT, NC — High Point police said a drone helped officers track a group wearing black clothing and ski masks after calls about suspicious activity at an apartment complex Friday evening. Two people were arrested, including a 15-year-old, and investigators recovered three firearms.
Police said officers were sent around 6:05 p.m. to Newgate Garden Apartments on Grayson Street. When officers arrived, the group ran, but a certified drone pilot with the department’s Drone as First Responder program continued following them from the air.
Drone footage helped officers follow the group after it ran
The department said the drone gave officers a clearer view of what was happening as the group scattered from the apartment complex. Police said the aircraft was operated by a certified pilot working within the department’s Drone as First Responder program.
That program is expected to be fully operational in the coming weeks, according to police. Chief Curtis Cheeks III said the case shows how the technology can give officers better situational awareness when they are responding to calls.
Police also said drone use is mission-specific. Cameras are focused only on the scene of an active incident, the department said, as officers work to monitor unfolding events and coordinate a response on the ground.
Police say one person tossed an object before a handgun was found
As officers moved in, police said they saw one person throw an object over a fence. A member of the department’s K9 Unit later found a semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine in the area.
Investigators then recovered two more firearms, including a mini Draco and a Glock fitted with a conversion device, also known as a switch. Police said one of the weapons was a ghost gun, meaning it did not have a serial number.
The recovered weapons gave investigators the basis for the charges that followed. Police did not say in the release whether the firearms were linked to any shots fired or injuries at the apartment complex.
28-year-old High Point man faces felony weapons charge
Police arrested Anton Pratt, 28, of High Point, and charged him with felony possession of a weapon of mass destruction and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Pratt was taken to the Guilford County Jail in High Point.
Officials said Pratt was given a $25,000 bond. The department did not release additional details about his alleged role in the incident beyond the charges filed against him.
The case adds to a growing list of situations in which police have used drones to help find people who flee before officers can make contact. In this case, officers said the technology allowed them to keep eyes on the group while units on the ground closed in.
Teen charged through juvenile petitions after police say he possessed firearms
A 15-year-old from High Point was also charged through juvenile petitions. Police said the teenager faces felony possession of a weapon of mass destruction and three counts of possession of a firearm by a minor.
The juvenile was placed under a secure custody order and taken to the Juvenile Detention Center in Greensboro, according to police. Because the case is being handled in juvenile court, officials did not provide the teen’s name.
Police said the combination of adult and juvenile charges reflects the seriousness of the weapons recovered. The department did not say whether more arrests were expected.
Police cite the case as an example of technology in active calls
Chief Curtis Cheeks III said the incident highlights how the department is using technology to give officers better awareness during active calls. He said the drone program helps police see what is happening in real time as they respond to unfolding situations.
The department said operations are limited to specific missions and that cameras are aimed only at the active scene. Police framed the program as a tool for officer safety and for helping crews locate people who run before they can be detained.
For now, the department says the Drone as First Responder program is nearing full operation in the coming weeks. Friday’s response offered one of the clearest public examples yet of how the system is expected to work once fully deployed.
