Drones have definitely come under the limelight in recent times, whether good or bad, and it seems that this particular drone has been hauled up as a suspect in the cause of a police horse’s death. Yep, you read that right – one of those tiny flying machines? They could very well be the reason behind the suspicious death of a police horse. In fact, the police are right now on the lookout for the owner of an unmanned drone that was involved in an incident with one of the force’s horses to assist in their investigations.
Detective Superintendent Simon Atkinson said, “There is a possibility that Fimber was reacting to the drone landing nearby or being close to him when he bolted with tragic consequences.” Fimber happens to be the 14-year-old horse who died after colliding with a wooden post when he vaulted the fence of his paddock. The reason behind that? Police suspected that Fimber was spooked by the presence of the drone.
Officers did some ground work and they discovered a radio-controlled drone at the site near Wakefield, West Yorkshire, after the drone itself was spotted by a police helicopter crew. The drone’s model is the Walkera Runner 250, which will retail for £200 thereabouts, and the owner is being looked for by the force.
Detective Superintendent Simon Atkinson continued, “We have reviewed CCTV footage which shows Fimber bolting seemingly in reaction to something nearby. This resulted in him being seriously injured and led to his death. We cannot discount that this drone was involved. There is a possibility that Fimber was reacting to the drone landing nearby or being close to him when he bolted with tragic consequences. We know he was used to the helicopter taking off and landing nearby and by the nature of his training would be used to loud noises, which tends to suggest it was something unusual that caused him to react. I am very keen to hear from anyone who has any information that could assist us in tracing the owner of this drone.”