A robot dog was praised by the Massachusetts state police, in the United States, for having helped prevent a tragedy that involved a person barricaded in a house and firing an automatic weapon.
Roscoe, who was part of the Massachusetts State Police bomb team, was deployed on March 6 to a home in Barnstable after police were fired upon.
Agents sent two other robots often used for bomb disposal to the Roscoe house to find the suspect.
The robot dog, controlled remotely by police, first checked the two main floors before finding someone in the basement.
The person, armed with an automatic weapon, knocked Roscoe down twice before shooting three times, cutting off his communication.
He then shot one of the other robots and an outdoor pool, before the police used tear gas and secured his arrest.
“The incident provided a clear example of the benefits of mobile platforms capable of opening doors and climbing stairs in tactical missions involving armed suspects,” the state police said in a statement.
“Roscoe’s placement at the suspect’s residence avoided the need, at that stage of response, for human agents to enter, and may have prevented a police officer from being involved in an exchange of gunfire,” he added.
Boston Dynamics, the company that manufactured the Spot robot, explained in a statement that it was the first time one of these devices had been shot.
“We are relieved because the only victim that day was our robot”, highlighted the company.
“It’s a great example of how mobile robots like Spot can be used to save lives”, he also highlighted.
Authorities have not released the shooter’s identity or said what charges he faces.
Roscoe was sent to the factory to have the bullets removed. The robot will remain at the company and a new unit will be sent to the state police.
Tags: Robot police dog shot multiple times praised preventing tragedy
