Now that a police robot has been used to kill a suspect in Dallas, can drones be far behind?

The idea is a long way from becoming reality, experts say.

The Arlington police department is the only one in the Metroplex that uses drones, and they're used to protect lives.

A drone can "see" a situation before an officer is sent into danger, and can help with evacuating citizens, said Arlington police Lt. Brook Rollins, commander of the Technical Services Division.

The department used drones to get a bird's-eye view of heavily damaged buildings after a storm in October 2014 and for tactical surveillance when an armed suspect barricaded himself in a building.