OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. \u2013 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\u2019s drone program.<\/p>\n
Police said 21-year-old Joseph Edward Smith of Pontiac was arrested Tuesday (May 4) after the Oakland County Sheriff\u2019s Office Drones as First Responders (DFR) unit captured video of him carrying a rifle in the woods.<\/p>\n
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.<\/p>\n
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\u2019s drone program. (Oakland County Sheriff’s Office)<\/p>\n
Officials said drone operators quickly located Smith and confirmed he was armed. <\/p>\n
Using what the sheriff\u2019s office described as \u201creal-time aerial intelligence,\u201d the drone team guided deputies directly to his location.<\/p>\n
Police said Smith was arrested wearing camouflage and carrying multiple boxes of ammunition. <\/p>\n
He told investigators he was in the area for target practice.<\/p>\n
Smith has been charged with carrying a concealed weapon and reckless use of a firearm. <\/p>\n
The 21-year-old man was arraigned Wednesday in Pontiac\u2019s 50th District Court.<\/p>\n
The sheriff\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
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