Drone Technology Aids in Peaceful Resolution of Hostage Situation in Winnie Brook

Hostage Situation Unfolds in Winnie Brook

On February 27th, a tense hostage situation reportedly unfolded in the Winnie Brook Subdivision in Brooklet, Georgia. The Bulloch County Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene where a suspect, identified as Joshua Hellberg, was reportedly holding a woman at gunpoint, threatening to kill both her and himself.

Successful Negotiation and Evacuation

The Sheriff’s negotiation team made contact with Hellberg via telephone, during which time children present in the residence were safely evacuated. Despite the ongoing negotiations, Hellberg continued to hold the woman hostage. However, she was eventually able to escape, taking two firearms from the home to turn over to law enforcement. Hellberg remained barricaded in the home, reportedly armed with a rifle and several other firearms.

Suspect Flees, Drone Technology Comes into Play

As deputies were warning neighbors to shelter in place, Hellberg fled the home, armed with a rifle. The Sheriff’s SERT team pursued him into a wooded area. After verbal commands to surrender, Hellberg complied, leaving his rifle behind in the woods.

Drone operators from the Sheriff’s UAV unit were able to mark the location of the abandoned rifle using a FLIR camera, enabling quick recovery. The drone operators were instrumental in relaying the suspect’s location and activities to the SERT team, and in locating the abandoned weapon.

Gratitude Expressed by Sheriff Brown

Sheriff Brown expressed his gratitude to all the members of his office who responded to the incident. He also thanked the Georgia State Patrol, who provided several troopers to assist, and the Bulloch County EMS, who stood by until the situation was resolved.

Sheriff Brown especially commended the drone operators from the Sheriff’s UAV unit. “They were able to relay suspect location and activities to the SERT team and were instrumental in locating the weapon which was abandoned by Hellberg in the woods,” he said.

This incident highlights the increasing role of Drone Technology in law enforcement. In this case, the use of a drone equipped with a FLIR camera was crucial in tracking the suspect and locating the abandoned weapon, contributing to the peaceful resolution of a potentially deadly situation.