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N. Va. deputies use drone to nab assault suspect

The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office made use of new crime-fighting technology to find and arrest a suspect wanted for assault. The image shows a silhouette of Dallas Cousins lying prone. (Stafford County Sheriff’s Office)

The Stafford County Sheriff’s Office made use of new crime-fighting technology to find and arrest a suspect wanted for assault in the Virginia county.

According to the sheriff’s office, Dallas Cousins, 37, attacked someone inside a home on Pribble Lane in Stafford late Monday night. Cousins fled into a nearby wooded area, and police were told he was intoxicated and possibly armed with a gun.

Deputies called in their Unmanned Aircraft Systems Team, which deployed a drone to find Cousins. The Spotsylvania Sheriff’s Office also assisted with a K-9 bloodhound search on the ground.

About an hour and a half after responding to the call, the drone spotted Cousins walking along Little Whim Road.

The drone photographed Cousins during his arrest. The image shows a silhouette of Cousins in the prone position.

Cousins was booked on assault and battery charges. No weapon was ever recovered.

He is being held at the Rappahannock Regional Jail on a $1,500 bond.

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