Waymo Calls Cops on Passengers With Assault Rifle

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company, called the police on two youths in San Francisco after discovering an assault rifle in the back of one of its robotaxis, according to local reports. Both passengers, a boy and a girl, were subsequently arrested. On the morning of September 4, Waymo pulled over a vehicle following a "violation of our terms of service involving a firearm," said a company spokesperson to the LA Times.

The police were then alerted and conducted a "high-risk vehicle stop" in the city's Richmond District just before 4 AM. Upon searching the car, officers found a "ghost gun" — an untraceable, homemade firearm — that resembled an AR-style assault rifle, along with suspected marijuana and mace spray. The teenagers were booked into a juvenile detention center and face charges for illegally possessing a firearm; their identities and ages remain undisclosed.

Robotaxis are equipped with cameras to monitor their surroundings and the interior of the vehicles, making them unsuitable for unauthorized activities. It is still unclear what the teens' intentions were when they were seen carrying the makeshift rifle. This is not the first instance of Waymo alerting local law enforcement about its passengers.

In July, Waymo pulled over a car and informed the San Mateo Police Department after finding two 15-year-old boys drinking and using a toy gun in the backseat. There have also been other incidents of unruly or potentially illegal behavior in robotaxis that did not result in arrests. As robotaxis become more prevalent, disruptive passengers may become a more common issue.