Waymo’s self-driving vehicle system detected a loaded firearm inside one of its robotaxis and initiated an emergency stop that led to two minors being arrested in San Francisco.
The autonomous vehicle company pulled over the car in the early hours of Sept. 3 after its systems flagged a “violation of our terms of service involving a firearm,” according to statements Waymo provided to multiple outlets. The company then contacted emergency services and cooperated with San Francisco police as the incident unfolded.
Officers from Richmond Station responded to 40th Avenue and Cabrillo Street shortly before 4 a.m., where they located the Waymo and its two juvenile passengers. Police detained a boy and a girl at the scene; authorities have withheld their names and ages due to their status as minors.
A search of the autonomous vehicle yielded a loaded AR-style rifle that police described as a ghost gun. These weapons lack serial numbers, which severely complicates tracing efforts by law enforcement. Officers also searched the two teenagers and found suspected marijuana and mace spray during the stop.
Both juveniles were arrested on charges related to illegal firearm possession and subsequently booked into San Francisco’s Juvenile Justice Center. The incident remains under active investigation by San Francisco police.
Waymo declined to comment when contacted about the arrest, according to the company’s response to media inquiries.
The Sept. 3 arrest marks at least the second time this summer that Waymo has involved police due to concerning behavior by underage passengers in its vehicles. In July, San Mateo police responded to a similar alert from the company regarding two 15-year-olds riding in a self-driving car.
That earlier incident involved the teenagers drinking alcohol and firing objects from the moving vehicle. Police ultimately determined the pair had been shooting Orbeez water beads while consuming alcohol inside the Waymo.
“Parents do you know where your teens are? @waymo does!” the San Mateo Police Department wrote on Facebook following the July incident.
The repeated episodes highlight the ongoing challenges facing autonomous vehicle companies as they navigate passenger conduct in their driverless fleets, particularly involving unaccompanied minors who may violate terms of service.