Wanted Subject Arrested

On June 9th, 2023, at approximately 5:30 pm, Chico Police Detectives located a wanted subject near the intersection of E. 3rd Street and Wall Street. The wanted subject was positively identified as Benjamin Miranda, 28 years old, of Chico. Miranda has a history of weapons use and was wanted on a parole violation from the California Department of Corrections/Rehabilitation.

As officers attempted to contact Miranda, he immediately fled on foot. During the foot pursuit, Miranda fled through an open business. Several officers arrived in the area to assist in the search. Miranda then proceeded to conceal himself in the patio area of an open business. The business was asked to shelter in place while a search was conducted. Due to Miranda’s prior history of weapons possession and the fact that he had concealed himself on the patio of the business, an Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), also known as a drone, was quickly deployed by an on-scene Chico Police Officer. This officer is trained and certified as a law enforcement drone pilot.

The UAS began searching the patio area of the business. The UAS pilot was able to locate Miranda on the patio and began giving him verbal instructions. Miranda complied and was ultimately taken into custody without further incident.

This incident highlights how technology has helped to de-escalate situations, improve officer and community safety, and decrease the amount of staff time spent on these types of incidents. Drone technology can be quickly deployed and provides real-time intelligence, which would otherwise be difficult to obtain through traditional means.

Location: Downtown Chico, CA

Suspect: Benjamin Miranda, 28 yrs. old

Victim: N/A

Supervisor: Sgt. Dane Gregory

Lieutenant: Lt. Jeff Durkin