A child sustained severe hand injuries when a police drone crashed after striking an overhead cable that went unnoticed by the operator, according to an investigation.
The incident occurred on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent last August, where police had responded to reports of an assault. The DJI M30T drone was deployed to assist in locating a suspect, but it collided with a cable that the operator had failed to see, causing it to crash.
Following the accident, a Kent Police special inspector received a misconduct notice in relation to the incident. Additionally, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has initiated an investigation, marking its first examination of a case involving a civilian injured by a police drone in the UK.
The drone, weighing nearly 4kg and equipped with a thermal camera, was launched by Kent Police to aid in the search for a suspect. The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) conducted a record-only investigation and noted that the cable hazard was not identified during the drone’s rapid deployment.
A Kent Police spokesperson confirmed that the child, whose age was undisclosed, was swiftly transported to a hospital in London for treatment. The IOPC has been notified, and an independent investigation is underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The AAIB spokesperson stated that a full investigation was deemed unnecessary, and a record-only investigation was carried out due to unlikely new safety findings. The priority remains on enhancing safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The IOPC spokesperson confirmed the independent investigation into the drone incident, emphasizing that a special inspector received a misconduct notice. The ongoing investigation will determine the next steps regarding potential disciplinary actions.