The controversial bill that allows American citizens to be targets of unmanned airborne drones on domestic soil is finally coming to fruition: Chris Dorner is now the first known target of such attacks.
[quote]Yesterday, as a task force of 125 officers, some riding Snowcats in the rugged terrain, continued their search, it was revealed that Dorner has become the first human target for remotely-controlled airborne drones on US soil.
A senior police source said: “The thermal imaging cameras the drones use may be our only hope of finding him. On the ground, it’s like looking for a needle in a haystack.”
Asked directly if drones have already been deployed, Riverside Police Chief Sergio Diaz, who is jointly leading the task force, said: “We are using all the tools at our disposal.”
The use of drones was later confirmed by Customs and Border Patrol spokesman Ralph DeSio, who revealed agents have been prepared for Dorner to make a dash for the Mexican border since his rampage began.[/quote]
On one hand, the drone will be incredibly useful in tracking him down. On the other, I have strong reservations about using military tools against citizens outside of war. Discuss this shit.
Clarification: the drone is apparently unarmed. MSN recently reported otherwise, which is causing the uproar that you may have seen on Twitter and Reddit. Drones are used regularly in border patrol (thanks to Achilles for posting that); however, this appears to be the first time unmanned drones are being used specifically on an American citizen.
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So why is the government spending thousands of dollars to find this dude?