Wichita Police Drone Tracks Circle K Robbery Suspect

Wichita police arrested a 46 year old man early Friday morning after an armed robbery at a Circle K convenience store, with a Skydio X10 police drone playing a decisive role in locating and capturing the suspect, as reported by KWCH 12 News.

Officers were dispatched at 5:20 a.m. to the Circle K located at 1254 S. Tyler in southwest Wichita after an employee reported an armed robbery. According to police, the suspect entered the store with a handgun, demanded cash from the register, and fled westbound on a bicycle after receiving the money.

Within minutes, officers located a crashed bicycle just west of Tyler, suggesting the suspect had abandoned it while attempting to escape through nearby residential areas. Rather than relying solely on ground units, a responding officer launched a Skydio X10, a drone platform specifically designed for public safety and autonomous operations.

That decision quickly paid off.

From the air, the Skydio X10 spotted a man hopping fences west of the gas station, a classic attempt to evade capture by moving through backyards and alleyways. Officers were guided to the suspect’s location in real time and took him into custody without further incident.

Police recovered cash from the suspect’s pocket, along with clothing and a firearm matching the robbery description, which were found along his path of travel.

Why the Skydio X10 excels in police searches

The Skydio X10 is built for exactly this kind of scenario. Unlike consumer drones, it is designed for autonomous navigation in complex urban environments, allowing it to track suspects through tight spaces, over fences, and between structures with minimal pilot input.

In fast moving incidents like this one, the drone acts as an airborne officer, maintaining visual contact while ground units reposition safely and efficiently.

That capability is central to modern Drone as First Responder programs, where drones are launched within minutes of a 911 call and often arrive before patrol vehicles, and even use their thermal cameras for catching suspects at night.

Wichita Police Chief Joseph Sullivan underscored the importance of the drone deployment.

“This is exactly how technology helps us in real time,” Sullivan said. “Drones let us quickly deploy, cover a perimeter, and direct officers to the suspect right away. In this case, that quick response was huge, and it helped us get someone who committed a violent crime off the street.”

Police drones becoming standard equipment

Departments across the U.S. are increasingly relying on platforms like the Skydio X10 for suspect searches, perimeter security, and nighttime operations. The combination of autonomous flight, stabilized imaging, and live video streaming allows officers to make faster decisions with better information.

What stands out in this Wichita case is how quickly the technology shifted the outcome. Without aerial support, officers may have needed more manpower and more time to locate a suspect moving through residential yards in low light conditions.

Instead, the drone turned a wide area search into a focused arrest within minutes.

The suspect was taken into custody without injuries, and police confirmed the recovery of both the stolen cash and the firearm believed to be used in the robbery.

DroneXL’s Take

This incident shows the Skydio X10 doing exactly what it was designed to do. Fast launch, autonomous tracking, and real time coordination with officers on the ground.

As Drone as First Responder programs expand nationwide, police drones are no longer just an extra set of eyes, they are becoming the first unit on scene, and in cases like this one, the difference between a suspect escaping and a suspect in handcuffs.

Photo credit: Skydio