Following an investigation, it was discovered that a child was seriously injured by a police drone that crashed to the ground after striking an overhead cable that went unnoticed by the operator.
The injured child was promptly taken to a hospital in London for treatment after sustaining a severe hand injury during the incident. The police had been called to respond to an assault on the Isle of Sheppey in Kent last August, leading to the deployment of a DJI M30T drone to aid in the search for a suspect.
According to the Air Accident Investigation Branch (AAIB), a Kent Police officer quickly launched the drone, which subsequently collided with a cable that had not been identified by the officer, resulting in the drone’s descent.
Subsequently, a Kent Police special inspector received a misconduct notice following the drone’s causing ‘serious injury’ to the child’s hand.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) has initiated its own investigation into the incident, marking the first instance where the watchdog has probed a case involving a UK civilian harmed by a police drone.
During the occurrence on August 2, Kent Police utilized the DJI M30T drone, weighing almost 4kg and equipped with a thermal camera, for suspect search operations.
An AAIB report stated, “In support of an emergency response, an Unmanned Aircraft (UA) was deployed. While taking off, the UA collided with a telegraph cable, subsequently hitting a member of the public and causing a hand injury that required hospital treatment. The operator noted that the cable hazard was not observed during the rapid deployment of the UA.”
A spokesperson from Kent Police mentioned that the child, whose age was not disclosed, was swiftly transported to a London hospital due to hand injuries. “Kent Police responded shortly after 4 pm on Saturday, August 2, 2025, to reports of an ongoing assault on the Isle of Sheppey,” the spokesperson stated.
“As part of the search efforts for the suspect, a police drone was deployed. During its operation, it struck an overhead cable, fell, and hit a child, causing a hand injury. The child received treatment for the injuries at a London hospital. Kent Police made a compulsory referral to the IOPC, which is now independently investigating the circumstances.”
An AAIB representative indicated that a record-only investigation was conducted as new safety insights from a full investigation were deemed unlikely. “The AAIB receives approximately 700 incident and accident notifications each year, and our objective is to identify safety lessons that can help prevent future incidents,” the spokesperson explained.
“Every notification is taken seriously, and we assess each against established criteria to determine the appropriate investigation level. We acknowledge that any incident causing injury, especially to a member of the public, is deeply concerning for those involved.
“In this instance, after reviewing the circumstances and available evidence, we concluded that a full investigation would probably not reveal new safety insights beneficial to broader aviation safety. Hence, a record-only investigation was conducted. This decision does not downplay the seriousness of the incident but reflects our judgment on directing investigative resources for optimum safety improvement.”
An IOPC spokesperson confirmed, “We are independently investigating an incident where a child was harmed by a crashing drone operated by Kent Police. This event took place on August 2 while officers were responding to reports of a disturbance on the Isle of Sheppey.
“The drone was launched, struck an overhead cable, fell, hit the child, and caused a serious hand injury. As part of the ongoing investigation, we have issued a misconduct notice to a special inspector. The issuance of the notice does not automatically indicate follow-up disciplinary proceedings.”