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Drones helping Va. sheriff's office save lives

A mentally-distraught, armed woman trying to get cops to kill her, was saved, in part by technology on the ground and in the air.

A mentally-distraught, armed woman trying to get cops to kill her, was saved, in part by technology on the ground and in the air.

It happened recently outside a Walmart in Stafford County, Va,. just off I-95 on Dec. 8, 2017.

Stafford County Sheriff's Deputies used a robot, an armored vehicle and drones to end a violent situation peacefully.

A 57-year-old Florida woman in the midst of a mental breakdown, dealing with health, money and family problems. She has left her home in Cocoa Beach, drove 800 miles north and wound up with her last few dollars in a Walmart parking lot the morning of Dec. 8, 2017.

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"You have a female who is distraught and who is being belligerent," said Stafford County Sheriff David Decatur. "On a number of occasions, she was asking the police to just shoot her," he said.

He deployed dozens of personnel, a Bearcat armored vehicle, a robot that brought the woman some cigarettes, and two drones with high-resolution live video that allowed them to see what was going on inside that car.

"We could monitor what was in her hands, we could monitor her movements and what she was doing at the time. It allowed us to put our deputies in positions where they were protected," said Decatur.

One problem deputies faced was that she had backed to her vehicle into the cab of a tractor trailer. Inside the truck was the driver who had been sleeping.

"Once we were able to use the drones to get a good, clear visual on her we were able to get a rescue team, deputies in position go up to the truck, while keeping an eye on her. Safely watching her, we were able to safely extract him from the truck," said Decatur.

When it was clear negotiations weren't going to work, they sent in the armored vehicle to deploy pepper spray through an open window. Then they took her in to custody.

"We got her the medical treatment that she needed...It took a lot of patience...but, if it takes time, we're going to take that time to help people. And that's what we want to do, we want to help people survive," said Decatur.

The Stafford County drone program launched with $50,000 in seized money from drug cases.

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