Burglary Suspects on Building Rooftp Can't Hide from NYPD Drone
When NYPD officers couldn't find anyone after responding to a burglary call at a two-story building, the department deployed a drone, which spotted two suspects on the roof.
By Rocco Parascandola
Source New York Daily News
June 20, 2025
2 min read
Barry Williams | New York Daily News | TNS
A Skydio X-2 drone is seen at the NYPD Central Park Precinct during a November 2024 press conference.
What to know
An NYPD drone spotted two burglary suspects on the roof of a two-story building in Brooklyn, helping to lead officers to their location.
The suspects tried to break into an apartment on the second floor, but only damaged a front door lock.
Officers quickly arrested a suspect on the roof, while the second suspect jumped into a backyard from the roof, injuring his leg.
An NYPD drone helped police nab two burglary suspects in Brooklyn early Friday, police said.
The incident happened about 12:45 a.m. on Winthrop St. near E. 92nd St. in East Flatbush.
Officers responded to a 911 call about a burglary at a two-story building that houses a business on the first floor and apartments on the second floor.
They looked around but could not find anyone, police said.
An NYPD drone then recorded the suspects on the roof, with the officers on scene alerted to their whereabouts.
The officers raced to the roof and arrested Imanna Washtington, 35,
The second suspect jumped off the roof and into a backyard, hurting his leg, police said.
He was arrested moments later and taken to Kings County Hospital for treatment.
The Responder drone from BRINC is ready to take flight, creating an all-encompassing tool for police and law enforcement agencies that are launching Drone as First Responder (DFR) programs.
Both suspects were charged with burglary, criminal mischief and criminal trespass.
Police said the duo got into the building and unsuccessfully tried to break into an apartment, damaging a front door lock in the process.
The NYPD has touted its expanding use of drones, especially for preventing subway surfers from getting hurt and more recently in using them to get to scenes before patrol officers can.
Critics, however, have raised privacy concerns and said drones are more of a novelty than an effective ay to improve ublis safety.
The NYPD last said it was stepping up its use of drones in a five-precinct pilot program in which the electronic devices would be sent out along with patrol officers on certain 911 calls, with the department noting a drone can often get to a scene before officers in a police cruiser.
In the first three months of this year police used drones 3,043 times, including 2,408 times as a first responder, according to NYPD statistics.
That’s nearly triple the 1,096 times drones were used as first responders in the last three months of 2024.
Drones are also being used in search and rescue operations, to look for evidence, often in spots not easily accessible and to track protesters at large demonstrations.
