A robot dog Spot, made by Boston Dynamics and used by the Massachusetts police, was shot during a standoff that took place in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. This would be the first incident of such a robot dog being shot “in the course of the program” and is being heralded as proof of how the machine can assist law enforcement during such encounters with armed suspects.
The incident happened in early March when a SWAT team was dispatched to a property where an armed suspect had barricaded himself inside. When officers arrived, the suspect began shooting at them, prompting them to turn on Spot, along with two PackBot 510 robots, to assist in locating the suspect inside the home. “The use of remotely controlled robots allowed the team to safely obtain crucial information and to know the interior of the property and the location of the suspect,” according to a statement from the Massachusetts State Police (MSP), published on Facebook.
Spot, named Roscoe by MSP, was sent to the basement by a remote operator and was “preparing to open a door when the suspect suddenly emerged from a bedroom armed with a shotgun.” He then knocked Roscoe down and tried to run, not knowing that the robot could stand up if it was grounded, which it did, then chasing the suspect down the stairs. “When the suspect realized that Roscoe was on the stairs behind him, he raised the rifle in his direction. Communication with the robot was then lost,” the police announcement also states.
Roscoe was shot 3 times by the suspect, rendering him inoperable. SWAT teams then used tear gas, at which point the suspect surrendered without attempting to shoot. “Bringing Roscoe into the suspect’s home prevented the need to use human troops or dogs and allowed us to avoid engaging them in a shootout.” Roscoe was then taken to Boston Dynamics, where the damage was assessed and the decision was made to keep him for further investigation. The Massachusetts Police Department received another Spot to replace it.
