Police arrest wanted 43-year-old following pursuit in Gdańsk county
The man did not stop for a traffic control and hid in a forest. Officers used a thermal imaging drone to locate him.
Pursuit and arrest with help of thermal imaging drone
Police from Gdańsk county arrested a 43-year-old who attempted to flee from a traffic control. According to pomorska.policja.gov.pl, the man was wanted to serve a sentence of two years' imprisonment for burglary. Officers used a fire service drone equipped with a thermal imaging camera to locate the fleeing driver hiding in a forest.
On Friday afternoon, police officers from the Trąbki Wielkie station noticed a driver of an Audi who did not give way to a pedestrian at a pedestrian crossing in Mierzeszyn. The officers switched on acoustic and light signals to stop the vehicle in connection with a traffic violation committed. Instead of stopping, the man accelerated and fled towards Pruszcz Gdański.
Police officers pursued him for several kilometres. After driving onto a dirt road in Rekcin, the 43-year-old abandoned the car and began running on foot together with a passenger. Officers quickly arrested the 29-year-old passenger from Starogard county and continued pursuing the driver, who hid in a forest.
Joining the pursuit were a dog handler from the Municipal Police Headquarters in Gdańsk, officers from the Prevention Department in Gdańsk, and firefighters from the Volunteer Fire Services from Przywídz and Pszczółki. The firefighters used drones equipped with thermal imaging cameras to search the area.
Before 8 p.m., a drone operator and a police officer spotted an object resembling a human silhouette on the thermal imaging screen. Officers found the man hiding in bushes. After checking police databases, it turned out he was wanted to serve a sentence for burglary. The man also did not have a valid driving licence.
The 43-year-old was charged with failing to stop for a traffic control despite an authorised police officer issuing acoustic and light signals. This crime is punishable by imprisonment of up to five years. The man will also face charges for driving without a valid licence and failing to give way to a pedestrian.
Source: Google News PL — Crime (pl)