Massachusetts state police say a robotic canine helped avert a tragedy after being deployed at a Barnstable home the place police have been responding to an armed individual barricaded in a home
March 27, 2024, 1:38 PM ET
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BARNSTABLE, Mass. — 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 have been fired upon. Police despatched in two different robots typically used for bomb disposal into the home to seek 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 3 times, disabling its communication.
The person then shot at one of many different robots and an outside swimming pool earlier than police deployed tear fuel 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 a press release. “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.”
Authorities haven’t recognized the shooter or mentioned what fees they face.
Roscoe was despatched to Boston Dynamics, the corporate that made the robotic, to take away the bullets. It will stay with the corporate and a brand new unit might be despatched to state police.
