Three suspects were arrested after they were tracked running though the darkness by a police drone.
Officers were called to Meadow Park in East Leake shortly after midnight on 19 April after a group of young men were reported to be in possession of a knife.
A police drone was deployed to search for the suspects, and its high-powered thermal imaging camera soon identified three figures sat on a bench.
After running from the scene, the suspects were followed to the back garden of a house and detained.
A large knife was later recovered.
Three 17-year-old boys were arrested on suspicion of affray and possessing an offensive weapon.
Sergeant Vince Saunders, chief drone pilot at Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“As this incident proves, once you’ve been spotted by one of our drones it’s very hard to avoid officers on the ground.
“Using the live pictured beamed down from above, the pilot was able to keep his colleagues informed about the suspects’ location and ensure they could not get away.
“Without that technology it is likely that these suspects would not have been detained.”
• Lady Bay footpath to close for a year for Waterside Bridge works
