Kent Police’s drone incident involving a child getting injured due to a collision with an overhead cable has prompted investigations by the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC). The mishap occurred during a deployment to locate a suspect following reports of an assault on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent. The injured child was swiftly taken to a London hospital for treatment after sustaining a serious hand injury.
According to the AAIB, the drone, a DJI M30T model with a thermal camera, was quickly launched by a Kent Police officer but struck a cable that had not been noticed, resulting in the accident. Subsequently, a Kent Police special inspector received a misconduct notice in connection with the incident. The IOPC’s involvement marks the first instance of the watchdog investigating a case involving a civilian injured by a police drone in the UK.
The AAIB conducted a record-only investigation, explaining that a full investigation was deemed unlikely to provide new safety insights. Despite this, the seriousness of the incident is acknowledged, and efforts to enhance safety are ongoing. The IOPC confirmed its independent probe into the drone-related injury incident, highlighting the serving of a misconduct notice on a special inspector, although disciplinary actions are not automatic.
