Police drone injures child after striking overhead cable, investigation finds

The Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating after a 4kg Kent Police drone struck an overhead cable and fell on a child in Sheerness on 2 August, injuring the child's hand; the AAIB carried out a record-only probe.

A police-operated drone struck an overhead cable and fell onto a child in Sheerness, Kent, on 2 August, causing an injury to the child's hand. The drone had been launched while officers were responding to reports of an assault on the Isle of Sheppey. Kent Police made a mandatory referral and the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has opened an independent investigation. The Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB) reviewed the case and carried out a record-only probe. Key facts: - The drone hit an overhead cable during a rapid deployment and then fell, striking a child and causing a hand injury that required hospital treatment. - The deployment occurred while officers were searching the area for a suspected assault, according to Kent Police statements. - The IOPC is independently investigating the incident and has served a misconduct notice on a special inspector; this does not mean disciplinary action will necessarily follow. - The AAIB conducted a record-only investigation and reported that a full probe was unlikely to yield wider safety findings. Summary: The event left a child injured and prompted both an independent misconduct inquiry by the IOPC and an AAIB record-only review. Further outcomes, including any disciplinary or legal steps, are undetermined at this time.