A police K-9 and a four-legged robotic unit search a basement while officers monitor from a distance.
Enfield, Connecticut, August 25, 2025
A suspected burglar hiding inside a Garden Street home in Enfield, Connecticut, was found and arrested after a police K-9 completed a building search. Officers first used aerial drones to sweep floors but could not locate the subject; K-9 Dunkin, a German shepherd, cleared multiple levels and located the suspect hiding under basement construction debris. The response highlighted the department’s recent purchase of a four-legged robotic unit, R3KO, added to its UAV program to inspect confined or obstructed indoor spaces where aerial drones have limitations. The robot provides live camera feeds, can carry small payloads and is operated by trained officers to enhance officer and public safety.
Police in Enfield, Connecticut, arrested a man who forced his way into a home on Garden Street after the department’s K‑9 unit located the suspect hiding in the basement. The response also highlighted why the department recently added a four‑legged robotic drone, R3KO (pronounced Rico), to its existing aerial drone program.
Officers responded after a homeowner reported an active burglary and cameras captured a man inside the residence. A perimeter was set up and members of the combined Drone and K‑9 Unit were called to the scene. One trained drone pilot used an aerial unit to clear each floor of the house, but the drone team was unable to locate the suspect after scanning several floors.
A 3‑year‑old German shepherd named K‑9 Dunkin then conducted a building search. Dunkin cleared multiple floors and at first did not find the subject. While officers were preparing a basement search, they discovered a window had been broken. Multiple announcements were made for the suspect to surrender, and when there was no response, Dunkin entered the basement and found the man hiding under construction debris. The subject was apprehended without injuries to officers or to the suspect. Police did not release the suspect’s identity or specific charges at the time of the response.
The burglary response underscored a known limitation of aerial drones: they can be difficult or unsafe to use in certain indoor, close‑quarter scenarios. After a prior incident where aerial drones could not safely put eyes on a potentially dangerous interior space, the department reviewed its budget for unmanned aerial vehicle operations and allocated existing program funds to add a ground robotic unit to its toolkit.
The newly acquired four‑legged robotic drone, identified on the unit as R3KO and pronounced Rico, was purchased for roughly the same price as a standard aerial drone. Reports placed the cost at approximately $4,700 and at another estimate just shy of $4,800. The purchase was framed as a safety investment for officers, subjects, and the public rather than a novelty.
R3KO was operational for about a week at the time it was first used. The design intentionally mimics a dog’s shape and movement to make interactions more intuitive. From a distance the robot can appear smaller than a German shepherd and, up close, its frame and exposed wiring clearly mark it as a machine. The unit moves with joint articulation that resembles — and in some ways exceeds — canine motion.
The robot can walk, sprint, sit, jump, walk on two legs, and even perform a handstand. It can navigate stairs, pass through doorways, and squeeze through partially closed doors, curtains, and draperies—areas where an aerial drone might crash or be unable to enter. A small camera is mounted on a headlike appendage to provide real‑time visuals to remote officers. The robot can also carry a small payload, such as a cell phone, to help establish communication with a barricaded person.
The unit is controlled by trained officers and has already been deployed in at least one home burglary response. In that event the robot helped clear and visually check areas that aerial drones could not safely reach, but it did not locate the suspect, who was ultimately found by the department’s live K‑9 under basement debris. The combined use of robotic assets and a live K‑9 resulted in a safe resolution without injury.
The department’s aerial drone program has been used in searches for missing people, including those with Alzheimer’s and dementia, and has been cited as a life‑safety tool. However, lessons from recent calls showed that drones have limits in interior settings, prompting the addition of a ground robotic K‑9 to broaden operational options. Officials described the purchase as part of a shift away from sending officers into potentially dangerous interior spaces when technology can safely gather information first.
The robotic unit is one of the first of its kind to be adopted by a police department in the state. The department framed the tool as adding an extra layer of situational awareness and as another method to reduce risk to people and responders.
The department’s K‑9 Dunkin has also been involved in other patrol responses. In a separate June vehicle stop and pursuit, Dunkin tracked a suspect through a shopping area and located a person hiding in a bathroom, which led to an arrest in that case. These events illustrate the combined role of traditional K‑9 teams and new robotic assets in modern policing.
K‑9 Dunkin conducted a building search and located the suspect hiding under construction debris in the basement, leading to an arrest without injuries.
R3KO is a four‑legged robotic drone added to the department’s UAV lineup to provide visual access to areas where aerial drones cannot safely operate and to enhance officer and public safety.
The robot was purchased for roughly the cost of an aerial drone, reported in different accounts as about $4,700 and also described as just shy of $4,800. The purchase was made using existing funds from the department’s UAV/drone program budget.
Yes. R3KO can navigate stairs, pass through doorways, get through partially closed doors and curtains, and move into areas that may be unsafe for aerial drones.
The robot is operated by trained officers. It provides live camera feeds and can carry small items such as a cell phone for communication, but it is not described as an independently acting replacement for trained personnel.
No. The robot was used to clear and visually check parts of the home, but the suspect was located by the live K‑9 in the basement.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Incident location | Garden Street residence, Enfield, Connecticut |
| Traditional K‑9 | K‑9 Dunkin, 3‑year‑old German shepherd; located suspect in basement under construction debris; no injuries |
| Robotic K‑9 | R3KO (pronounced Rico); four‑legged ground drone added to UAV lineup |
| Robot capabilities | Walk, sprint, sit, jump, walk on two legs, handstand, navigate stairs, pass through doorways, get through partially closed doors/curtains, mounted camera, carry small payloads |
| Cost | Reported as roughly $4,700 and also as just shy of $4,800; funded from UAV program budget |
| Operational use | Used to clear interior areas; used in a home burglary response and validated as a supplement to live K‑9 teams |
| Program purpose | Enhance officer safety, subject safety, and public safety; overcome limitations of aerial drones in indoor scenarios |
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