On March 8, 2025, a tense standoff in San Francisco’s Outer Sundown neighborhood put the SFPD’s drone program underneath scrutiny. A suspect allegedly fired at a Police drone—marking a possible first for the reason that division started utilizing unmanned aerial programs (UAS) in 2024—earlier than participating officers in a shootout. The suspect was wounded and hospitalized with non-life-threatening accidents, as reported by Mission Native. This Drone Incident highlights the rising position of drones in policing and the challenges they face in hostile encounters.
Drone Incident Particulars: Pictures Fired at forty first Avenue
At 4:32 p.m. on Saturday, SFPD officers responded to reviews of an armed man threatening neighbors close to forty first Avenue, between Lincoln Approach and Irving Road. Deploying a police drone from their six-unit fleet, officers aimed to watch the state of affairs from above. The suspect fired on the drone—its mannequin unspecified in preliminary reviews—although it’s unclear if it was hit. He then discharged his weapon once more throughout a confrontation with officers, who returned hearth, putting him. Officers supplied support earlier than paramedics took him to a hospital.
The incident is underneath investigation by the San Francisco District Lawyer’s Workplace, SFPD’s Investigative Companies Element, and the Division of Police Accountability, with a city corridor required inside 10 days.
Technical Highlight: SFPD’s Drone Fleet
SFPD’s drone program, launched in 2024 after Proposition E, depends on a fleet of six UAS models, with the DJI Matrice 30T broadly reported as their major mannequin. This enterprise drone presents a 48-megapixel digicam with 4K HDR video, thermal imaging, a 45-minute flight time, and a 9-mile vary—although SFPD adheres to FAA line-of-sight guidelines. Weighing underneath 55 kilos per FAA Half 107, it’s constructed for tactical use however not for withstanding gunfire.
Whereas it’s attainable the DJI Matrice 30T was concerned in Outer Sundown, given its prominence in SFPD’s $150,000 program, the precise mannequin stays unconfirmed for this incident.
The Outer Sundown occasion underscores a vulnerability: these light-weight UAS models excel at remark however lack defenses towards bodily threats, a priority for businesses nationwide.
DroneXL’s Take
This Outer Sundown drone incident is a stark reminder of drones’ twin position in regulation enforcement: invaluable instruments and uncovered targets. Whereas SFPD’s UAS fleet boosts tactical consciousness, the Outer Sundown suspect’s actions spotlight a Authorized line crossed—underneath federal regulation, particularly 18 U.S.C. § 32, taking pictures at plane, together with drones, is a felony, carrying as much as 20 years in jail.
Picture courtesy of San Francisco Police Division.
Uncover extra from DroneXL.co
Subscribe to get the most recent posts despatched to your electronic mail.
