'Safety is our priority': Dual programs help Waukesha County Sheriff's Office make 2 arrests

WAUKESHA, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Technology and law enforcement can go hand-in-hand. In Waukesha County, the sheriff's department is using eyes in the sky to help deputies on the ground.

On the morning of Sept. 29, the department received two calls for suspects running from police over the span of five hours. The department chose to deploy both the Unmanned Aircraft Unit (drone) and the K9 Unit, and two successful arrests were made.

"It's just outstanding what these animals can do with proper training and time," said Deputy Anthony Schutte, who is the handler for K9 Chance. "It feels a lot better knowing that there is somebody watching, literally over top of you.

Schutte is referring to aerial coverage from the drone unit. Just after midnight on Sept. 29, the village of Hartland's police department initiated a pursuit with a vehicle. That pursuit ended, and ten minutes later a call to police tipped them off that the vehicle had crashed, and the driver ran on foot, allegedly with a handgun.

"If somebody flees and we have a pretty good idea of where they are, we can fly the drone over that area and look for them and then lead the K9 there," explained Deputy McManigal with the WCSD. "I was actually able to see the suspect walking through yards and then I watched him walk behind a house and he stayed there."

McManigal's intel helped guide Schutte, K9 Chance and other deputies to the suspects location and shortly later, 22-year-old Papa Diallo was arrested. Charges included fleeing/eluding police, 2nd Degree Reckless Endangering Safety and possession of THC.

A few hours later in Pewaukee, 20-year-old Kenneth Grady was also arrested after trying to run from police. The drone and K9 units, again, worked simultaneously to bring Grady into custody. Charges for Grady involved fleeing/eluding, possession of cocaine and drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest and bail jumping.

Both Schutte and McManigal say the two arrests are examples of how effective it can be to bring the two units together.

"We're always asking for each other," Schutte said. "It makes apprehension a lot safer for us and the subject that we're looking for."

"It allows you to cover a lot more area," McManigal said. "The more eyes you have in the air, usually, the more successful you are at finding what you're looking for."