11 Alive – Waymo drives into crime scene after two Atlanta officers injured in shooting
11Alive’s Chase Houle took video of a Waymo that bypassed a police barricade while investigating a shooting on Saturday off of Cheshire Bridge Road.
See original article by Chase Houle at 11 Alive
ATLANTA — A driverless Waymo vehicle ended up in the middle of an active police scene in Atlanta over the weekend, prompting renewed concerns about how autonomous vehicles respond in dangerous situations.
The incident happened on Saturday on Cheshire Bridge Road. 11Alive’s Chase Houle watched the Waymo vehicle, with a passenger seated in the back, bypass multiple Atlanta Police squad cars and officers before coming to a stop in the middle of the crime scene.
Just down the street, an apartment complex was on lockdown. SWAT teams and officers in tactical gear were seen going in and out of the building as police responded to what they described as a dangerous situation. According to Atlanta Police, a man had barricaded himself inside a unit after allegedly shooting at officers. Two reported injuries during the encounter; one officer was grazed in the head while the other sustained lacerations to his hand from falling debris.
This is not the first time Waymo vehicles have drawn attention in metro Atlanta.
In December, an autonomous vehicle was recorded driving around a stopped school bus that had its stop sign extended and lights flashing while children were exiting. Our reporting of the incident prompted the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to open an investigation into similar cases.
A month later, another situation involving a Waymo vehicle raised questions. A woman rear-ended one of the autonomous cars, and a responding Georgia State Patrol deputy allegedly told her he was unsure how to handle the crash.
Following Saturday’s incident, questions remain about how police are expected to manage driverless vehicles that enter active emergency scenes.
Attempts to obtain clarification from the Atlanta Police Department on standard operating procedures were unsuccessful. A spokesperson directed inquiries to the department’s website, where no relevant or updated guidance could be found.
An open records request has since been filed seeking more information.
Waymo said in a statement: “While navigating the parking lot, we entered an unsecured, not-taped-off lane (to the left of your video framing) before coming to a stop. As our protocols are designed and we’ve trained first responders to do, a police officer disengaged the vehicle, and our roadside assistance team retrieved it.”
See original article by Chase Houle at 11 Alive
