CHESTER COUNTY, S.C. — A drone is helping deputies in Chester County find missing people and catch suspects on the run.
The South Carolina sheriff's office has been using the drone for only 20 days, but so far, it has already helped catch two suspects.
The drone comes with an infrared camera that assists with searches at night by spotting the heat of a person possibly hiding.
In 2021, the Chester County Sheriff's Office spent seven days searching for murder suspect Tyler Terry. Chester County Sheriff Max Dorsey said this drone could have helped catch him sooner.
"That manhunt, that fugitive search, it just took too long, and so we felt like after we reviewed that incident, if we had a drone that we could immediately deploy, we would have been in a better position to capture that individual," Dorsey said.
Dorsey addressed privacy concerns and said deputies must follow laws and regulations when operating the drone.
The $50,000 device was paid for by grants and donations.
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