Robbery suspect shot by officers during police chase through Collin and Dallas counties, officials say
A suspect was taken to the hospital after being shot by officers following an alleged robbery and a police chase through two counties, the authorities confirmed Thursday morning.
According to the Plano Police Department, the incident started at a home in The Colony after its officers were called to assist with a robbery investigation.
It's unclear when the suspect, later identified as 34-year-old Ryan Edward Drouin, was spotted or when the chase began, but the Richardson Police Department told CBS News Texas that just after 2:10 a.m., Plano Police notified its department that officers had lost sight of the alleged robbery suspect's vehicle after it entered Richardson near Custer Road and West Renner Road.
Surveillance cameras help police track armed robbery suspect across North Texas, officials say
According to The Colony Police Department, officers used nearby surveillance video to identify the vehicle's license plate, then entered it into the department's Flock Safety license plate reader camera system.
The cameras detected the vehicle heading toward Plano.
Officers tracked Drouin to his father's home before he took off again near Custer and Renner, leading officers through Richardson and into Dallas near Alpha Road and Hughes Lane. Investigators say that's when Drouin fired at officers.
Richardson officers located that vehicle and attempted to stop it, but the suspect fled, leading officers on a chase that continued into Dallas.
During the pursuit, officers said that the suspect started firing shots, and they returned gunfire.
Drouin's vehicle stopped after becoming disabled at Alpha Road and Hughes Lane. Officers then took him into custody. Drouin was then taken to the hospital by Dallas Fire-Rescue to be treated for a gunshot wound, officials confirmed.
Drouin's condition hasn't been released at this time. No officers were injured.
Richardson Police told CBS News Texas that the Dallas Police Department is leading the investigation into the shooting and said neither the DPD nor the Plano Police Department was involved in the officer-involved shooting.
Plano Police confirmed that The Colony Police Department will be leading the investigation into the robbery.
How flock safety cameras help police track suspects - and raise privacy concerns
TCU criminologist Johnny Nhan said automated license plate reader systems, including Flock Safety cameras, have become valuable tools for law enforcement because they can quickly identify and track suspect vehicles across jurisdictions.
"There's a couple studies out that I know. One has it at over 90% accuracy in terms of reading the actual license plates," Nhan said.
He said the technology allows officers and real-time crime centers to quickly identify where a vehicle has been detected, helping agencies coordinate investigations more efficiently.
But Nhan said the cameras also raise privacy concerns and should be paired with strict safeguards governing how the technology is used, how long data is stored and who can access it.
"It is a very useful and powerful, robust tool for law enforcement," Nhan said. "However, in my opinion, there should be some very strict guidelines on its usage, data storage, who gets access, user access control, online security and camera placement."
