ABINGDON, Va. – Detective Billy Nichols waved the multi-pronged antenna gun toward the baseball field to his right and then to the Wednesday afternoon traffic on the left.
He cocked his head to the side as he listened to the static on the headphones. Moments later, the Washington County Sheriff’s officer stepped toward the baseball field, with Sgt. Dreema Pullon close behind, police radio in hand.
Nichols’ antenna gun had picked up the radio-wave ping transmission from the ankle bracelet worn by 18-year-old Down syndrome patient Billy Stiltner, of Abingdon. The search for Stiltner was a training drill for Project Lifesaver, a tracking technology the sheriff’s office offers for free to elderly and mentally challenged residents likely to wander away from home or school.
Washington County authorities test Project Lifesaver