Sayre, OK – The Beckham County Sheriff’s Department provided aerial support to Wheeler County, Texas, during a search for a fleeing suspect.
Sheriff Derek Manning said Wheeler County deputies requested one of Beckham County’s drones late Sunday night. A trained drone operator from Beckham County was sent across the state line to assist.
“Earlier this morning, I believe they did locate the individual they were looking for,” Manning said. “It was a truck driver that had run from the scene. I don’t know if it was a crash or a traffic stop, but he had taken off on foot. Our drone operator was able to find him, and they took him into custody without further incident.”
Manning said technology investments like drones, canine units, and jail scanners continue to prove their value in real-world operations. “You kind of worry when you purchase some of these tools, are you really going to get the good out of them? But so far, everything that we use at the Sheriff’s Office that we’ve purchased like that actually does produce results and reduces the need for manpower. At the end of the day, the main goal is to make it safer for our folks and for the community, and these tools all do that.”
The sheriff praised the deputy who operated the drone and emphasized the cooperative relationship between law enforcement agencies in the region.
“These are all two-way streets,” Manning said. “We don’t have any one office around here that’s not asking and receiving. Everybody’s always calling each other for help, and it’s a lot of cooperation between agencies. I enjoy that atmosphere.”
