Massachusetts State Police say one of their bomb squad members went beyond the call of duty and took the bullet. However, the police officer in question was not a human or even a dog, but a special police dog robot called Roscoe developed by Boston Dynamics.
in Wednesday's Facebook PostMassachusetts State Police said Roscoe's nickname was Boston Dynamics Spot RobotIn early March, he accompanied the department's bomb squad to respond to an incident where an armed suspect had holed up. Roscoe was sent to a house in Barnstable on Cape Cod with the two of them. Packbot 510often used in bomb disposal and reconnaissance to help police locate suspects.
Controlled remotely by a human trooper, Roscoe was first sent to clean the upper floors of the house. The robot dog ran into trouble when it went down to inspect the basement, where it encountered a suspect with a rifle. Police said the suspect knocked the robot over and began climbing the stairs. He apparently didn't notice the Boston Dynamics robot stand up on its own and began chasing it up the stairs.
„The suspect, visibly surprised to find Roscoe behind him on the stairs, flipped the robot over and raised the rifle in Roscoe's direction. The robot suddenly lost communication,“ Massachusetts State Police said in a statement. „Police would later discover that Roscoe had been shot three times by the suspect and was incapacitated.“
![Police claim a police robot dog was shot three times by a barricaded suspect](https://i.kinja-img.com /image/upload/c_fit,q_60 ,w_645/aff6fb4d1fb75160f0cb4665ece20cb4.jpg)
Roscoe wasn't the only robot to be shot. According to the police, the suspect also tried to shoot one of the Pacbot 510s, but was unsuccessful. Authorities continued to deploy tear gas into the house where the subject had barricaded himself, but the subject turned himself in shortly after.
Roco's performance during the incident impressed his human colleagues, who announced the incident on Facebook with the following headline: „Robot dog 'Roscoe' fires bullets at human law enforcement partner during Barnstable incident.“
![Police claim a police robot dog was shot three times by a barricaded suspect](https://i.kinja-img.com /image/upload/c_fit,q_60 ,w_645/fa51929e8f548658976ef331777ec024.jpg)
Despite glowing reviews from the Massachusetts State Police, the department's use of the Boston Dynamics spot. Not without controversy. In recent years, the NYPD has faced criticism from advocacy groups and the public over its use of Spot, with some saying the department could potentially use the robots to surveil citizens, particularly people of color. Others said it represents: “Militarization of the police.”
„(R)robotic surveillance ground drones are being deployed for testing in low-income communities of color where school resources are lacking,“ said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York. Ta. Posted in February 2021 by X. “Ask yourself: Last time did we see the next generation of world-class technology in education, healthcare, housing, etc. being consistently prioritized for underserved communities like this? When was the last time?”
The NYPD terminated its lease with Boston Dynamics in April 2021 following public outcry. However, New York City Mayor Eric Adams reversed the decision in 2023, saying that the use of spots in the city could „save lives.“ The Verge reported.
„I believe the technology is here. We can't be afraid of it,“ Adams said, The Verge reported. „Some vocal people opposed it, so we took a step back. That's not how I operate. I operate on what's best for this city.“
Police took Roscoe to Boston Dynamics, where they removed the three bullets left in the robot and asked the manufacturer's help to assess the damage. The manufacturer is keeping the Roscoe for research and providing a replacement unit to the Massachusetts State Police.