Lionel: Will Drones Be Used In Future Manhunts

NEW YORK, NY. (KPLR) – The search for Chris Dorner may be over.  The dramatic end won’t soon be erased from our minds.

Lionel worries about what manhunts in the future may look like, with the use of drones.

The case of Christopher Dorner the fugitive is fascinating for so many reasons. But what I want you to watch for is critical. And if it doesn`t happen to this guy it will, I assure you. As drones have been in the news what will happen sooner than not is the case of a very dangerous dude that`s on the loose. Someone who`s absolute guilt is without question. A real bad actor. Someone that if shot dead by a cop on the street either in a shootout or encounter, no one would complain. Someone whose death would be viewed as a relief in fact celebrated. A latter-day John Dillinger.

Now, here`s what will happen. Bring in the drones. Not the passive surveillance types but the heavily armed, lethal hellfire missile UAV killer drones. A predator or raptor. Locked and loaded for bear. The fugitive`s thermal signature will be uploaded and immediately our nomenclature and lexicon will be filled with new terms like thermal signature or if spotted the bad guy will be laser painted. Light `em up and take `em out.

Then news agencies will assign their high tech reporter dude who will ooh and ahh over the latest in lethal software. Graphics packages will be run and trust me, TV loves graphic packages as evidenced by these beauts over my shoulder. The surgical precision will astound folks and the lethality will be missed.

That fact that a citizen, a suspect for sure, a bad guy on the loose, armed and dangerous, the fact that he was surgically removed summarily with no court, no judge, no jury but through someone using a joystick in a quonset hut maybe on the other side of the country will make no difference to anyone. It will just be met with awe. Shock and awe. Shock and awesome, dude! And with that a critical segue will have been made.

The introduction of the UAV and drone on American soil in a law enforcement capacity. And if the drone happened to be a military UAV, fired by a military officer thus shattering the military-civilian firewall, it will mean nothing. Posse comitatus will have been violated and absolutely no one will even know what that means or care or wonder or complain.

It will just be cool.

It`s just another high tech gizmo that the good guys have used to take out a bad guy.

One day the sky will be filled with drones, drones of all sizes as small as your fingernail. A surveillance panopticon will be born but with this added twist: the armed drone along with  those equipped with tasers, pepper spray, CS gas and a host of aerosoled weaponry.

Remember I said this and watch. Comment.