(Beaver Dam) The Beaver Dam Police Department’s Drone Team was recently credited for aiding Waupun authorities in arresting a man on the run. Police in Waupun were called to a residence on West Jefferson Street earlier this month for a report of a physical disturbance.
Police learned that the suspect, a 28-year-old Waupun man, fled the scene on foot but officers were able to approximate his location through probation and parole because he was being monitored by a GPS bracelet. The individual was believed to be in a wooded area, near the Rock River, north of North State Street and Taylor Street.
A perimeter was set up and the Waupun K9 Team was deployed. Waupun officers then requested the assistance of the Beaver Dam Police Department’s Drone Team. Beaver Dam Police Lieutenant Jeremiah Johnson says one of their newer drones has a thermal camera which helped law enforcement locate the suspect.
“We got the drone up for about maybe a minute…to look around…found a couple of red dots we wanted to check out…literally the first one that we went to was the suspect…lying on his back…hiding,” says Johnson. “We started [lowering the drone]…we got on the radio and told Waupun and Fond du Lac [authorities] that right underneath the drone we got something that’s hot…it’s moving…it looks like a person and seconds later they just swarmed him…got him up…he stood up…put his hands up and they placed him under arrest.”
The individual was transported to the Dodge County Jail and is facing charges of Resisting, Domestic Battery, Neglecting a Child, and Domestic Disorderly Conduct.
