OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – An Oakland County man is facing charges after police said he fired a gun in a wooded area, leading to his arrest with the help of a sheriff’s drone program.
Police said 21-year-old Joseph Edward Smith of Pontiac was arrested Tuesday (May 4) after the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Drones as First Responders (DFR) unit captured video of him carrying a rifle in the woods.
Oakland County police said they responded around 1:30 p.m. after a 911 caller reported a man wearing camouflage clothing carrying both a long rifle and a handgun in the wooded area.
Officials said drone operators quickly located Smith and confirmed he was armed.
Using what the sheriff’s office described as “real-time aerial intelligence,” the drone team guided deputies directly to his location.
Police said Smith was arrested wearing camouflage and carrying multiple boxes of ammunition.
He told investigators he was in the area for target practice.
Smith has been charged with carrying a concealed weapon and reckless use of a firearm.
The 21-year-old man was arraigned Wednesday in Pontiac’s 50th District Court.
The sheriff’s office said its Drones as First Responders program has been in operation for more than four years and is designed to provide real-time information to deputies responding to emergency calls, improving safety and reducing the risk of dangerous encounters.