Fugitive captured with help of drones

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A fugitive eluded the Nevada Highway Patrol (NHP) and the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) for almost 20 hours before being captured.

Sheriff Kerry Lee reported that Dec. 4, about 2:50 p.m., the NHP requested assistance on a traffic stop at mile marker 27, near the rest area on U.S. Highway 93 south of Alamo. 

While the trooper was making a stop of a pickup truck, the driver, identified as 39-year-old Michael John Tate of Twin Falls, Idaho, “walked away from the scene and into the brush, and the trooper lost sight of him.” Tate had a pending warrant related to several charges in Idaho

Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office – Michael Tate was captured after eluding police for 20 hours.

The sheriff’s office and Nevada Department of Fish and Wildlife responded to the assistance call along with the U.S. Department of Fish and Wildlife to begin a ground search for Tate. 

Lee said law enforcement officials searched for Tate until after dark, then waited to resume the search the next morning. The Lincoln County Search and Rescue Team was called in with drone support late Friday evening and was used again on Saturday 

Tate apparently spent the night in the open, with nighttime temperatures listed in the 20s. He did not attempt to hitch a ride with a passing motorist.

Saturday morning, Tate was spotted by motorists walking along U.S. 93, again by the rest area. When spotted, he again fled into the brush off road.

Deputies were able to fly two drones over the area where Tate was known to be and, after locating him, “We could keep eyes on him the entire time,” deputy Kenyon Walch said, “and eventually we have enough officers on scene we had him completely surrounded and he surrendered without incident.”

When taken into custody by the NHP and LCSO, Tate was weak and dehydrated. He was given medical attention by Pahranagat Valley EMTs, then booked into the Lincoln County Detention Center.

The sheriff’s office wishes to thank the various agencies and volunteers that came together and pooled their resources, including the drones from Search and Rescue. Walch said, “They really made a huge difference for us and officer safety and being able to see where Tate was as he went through various terrains and canyons. A drone was just hovering over him the whole time.”