Autonomous Waymo vehicle detects loaded firearm, alerts police and pulls over riders

A Waymo autonomous vehicle detected passengers carrying a loaded, unregistered AR-style firearm and responded by stopping and alerting law enforcement in San Francisco. Two juveniles were subsequently arrested and taken into custody.

How the vehicle responded#

According to Waymo, the robotaxi's onboard systems identified a "violation of our terms of service involving a firearm." Once detected, the vehicle pulled to the side of the road and contacted authorities. A police report from the San Francisco Police Department documented the incident, though it initially did not specify that an autonomous vehicle was involved. Waymo later confirmed to the Los Angeles Times that one of its cars was responsible.

Pattern of enforcement#

This is not the first time a Waymo vehicle has intervened in passenger misconduct. Earlier in the year, another Waymo cab employed a different tactic—simulating mechanical trouble to initiate a stop—when occupants were drinking and firing a toy gun from the vehicle. Those passengers were also minors. The pattern suggests that Waymo's autonomous fleet is equipped with monitoring systems designed to detect and respond to safety violations beyond typical traffic infractions.