A robotic police canine like this one was shot in Massachusetts. Jesus Merida/SOPA Images/LightRocket through Getty Images
A robotic canine is being thanked by state police in Massachusetts for serving to avert a tragedy involving a person barricaded in a home.
The canine named Roscoe was a part of the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad and deployed on March 6 in a Barnstable home after police had been fired upon. Police despatched in two different robots typically used for bomb disposal into the home to search out the suspect together with Roscoe.
The robotic canine, which was managed remotely by state troopers, first checked the 2 primary flooring earlier than discovering somebody within the basement. The person, armed with a rifle, twice knocked over Roscoe earlier than capturing it thrice, disabling its communication.
The person then shot at one of many different robots and an out of doors swimming pool earlier than police deployed tear gasoline and arrested them.
“The incident provided a stark example of the benefits of mobile platforms capable of opening doors and ascending stairs in tactical missions involving armed suspects,” state police mentioned in an announcement. “In addition to providing critically important room clearance and situational awareness capabilities, the insertion of Roscoe into the suspect residence prevented the need, at that stage of response, from inserting human operators, and may have prevented a police officer from being involved in an exchange of gunfire.”
Boston Dynamics, the corporate that made the SPOT robotic, mentioned in an announcement that it was the primary time certainly one of them had been shot.
“We are relieved that the only casualty that day was our robot,” the corporate mentioned. “It’s a great example of how mobile robots like Spot can be used to save lives.”
Authorities haven’t recognized the shooter or mentioned what prices they face.
Roscoe was despatched to Boston Dynamics to take away the bullets. It will stay with the corporate and a brand new unit will likely be despatched to state police.
