A recent investigation revealed that a child sustained severe injuries from a police drone that crashed to the ground after striking an overhead cable that went unnoticed by the operator. The incident occurred when Kent Police responded to a reported assault on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent last August and deployed a DJI M30T drone in search of a suspect.
Following the collision with the cable, the drone descended rapidly, causing a significant hand injury to the unidentified child. In response to the incident, a Kent Police special inspector received a misconduct notice. Additionally, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) initiated an investigation, marking the first time the watchdog has probed an incident involving a civilian injured by a police drone in the UK.
On the day of the incident, Kent Police utilized the DJI M30T drone, equipped with a thermal camera, weighing nearly 4kg, to aid in the search for the suspect. A subsequent report from the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) clarified that the operator failed to identify the telegraph cable hazard during the drone’s rapid deployment, resulting in the unfortunate collision with the child.
The injured child was promptly transported to a hospital in London for medical treatment. Kent Police confirmed the sequence of events and stated that the IOPC is conducting an independent inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The AAIB opted for a record-only investigation, deeming a full investigation less likely to yield new safety insights. Their focus remains on identifying safety lessons to prevent similar incidents in the future. The IOPC confirmed its independent investigation into the drone-related injury incident, emphasizing the seriousness of the matter and the issuance of a misconduct notice to a special inspector, with the possibility of disciplinary proceedings to follow.