A man accused of assaulting and robbing a man on the street was arrested after he was spotted and tracked by the Denver police helicopter early this morning.
At 12:45 a.m., officers were called about a robbery near East 16th Avenue and Spruce Street, said Lt. Matt Murray, a spokesman for the Denver Police Department.
At the scene, a man told police that someone hit him over the head with an unknown object and robbed him.
After hearing the call, officers patrolling in the helicopter made their way to the area and started looking for the man.
Using infrared cameras, officers were able to spot the suspect from the air as he dodged his way through backyards. Real-time images of the pursuit were sent to authorities monitoring the search on the ground, Murray said.
Using the video, officers coaxed 46-year-old Gerald Kendrick out of his hiding spot. Kendrick was arrested on suspicion of aggravated robbery and remains at the Denver County Jail.
“We try very hard to get the helicopter up on the weekends,” Murray said.
Due to budgetary constraints, the helicopter only patrols on selected Friday and Saturday nights. Often the helicopter patrols the city at an altitude high enough that it cannot be heard on the ground.
The pursuit was the fourth serious crime overnight, Murray said.
“The good news is, in all of these cases there was only one case where we didn’t make an arrest,” Murray said. “We are out there, we are on duty and ready.”
Jordan Steffen: 303-954-1794 or jsteffen@denverpost.com
