Scott County memorial drone broken for months

The Scott County sheriff's department is out of the aerial search and surveillance business for the time being.

Department personnel sent off for repair a broken high-definition drone, purchased with funds raised by family and friends to honor a 23-year old Scott City man who died more than four years ago.

A release from Sheriff Wes Drury, released Friday afternoon, did not explain what happened to the drone, which reportedly has been inoperable since December.

Drury said the county has always had access to another drone, but it has not been needed. The pandemic, he said, has kept the department quite busy.

"With the impact of COVID-19," said Drury, who is up for reelection this year, "it has been difficult to address the issues for repairing or replacing the drone."

Drury's office said the device is insured and provided a paid premium receipt to the Southeast Missourian.

Drury added Scott County is working with the counties of Cape Girardeau, Stoddard and New Madrid "to form a regional sheriff's drone team to continue the legacy of Zach(sic) Johnston."

Marsha Johnston, mother of the late Zackary H. Johnston, who fell through the ice off County Road 303 on Jan. 20, 2016, and died later of hypothermia, went on Facebook to call the department "beyond disrespectful" for not informing them sooner of the damaged device.

Johnston said her family was informed the equipment, useful in search and rescue operations, was sent for repair last week after the ZJ1 was rendered inoperapable in December.