(MENAFN) A robotic dog named Roscoe, belonging to the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad, is being credited with preventing a potential tragedy involving an individual barricaded in a home.
On March 6, police responded to a situation in a Barnstable residence where shots were fired at them. Roscoe, along with two other robots typically used for bomb disposal, was deployed into the house to locate the suspect.
Operated remotely by state troopers, Roscoe initially searched the main floors of the house before discovering the suspect in the basement. Despite being armed with a rifle, the suspect knocked over the robotic dog twice before ultimately shooting it three times, disabling its communication.
Following this incident, the suspect proceeded to shoot at one of the other robots and an outdoor swimming pool before law enforcement intervened by deploying tear gas and apprehending the individual. Roscoe's role in the operation proved invaluable in safely resolving the situation and preventing further harm.
"The incident provided a stark example of the benefits of mobile platforms capable of opening doors and ascending stairs in tactical missions involving armed suspects,” state police stated in a release.
"In addition to providing critically important room clearance and situational awareness capabilities, the insertion of Roscoe into the suspect residence prevented the need, at that stage of response, from inserting human operators, and may have prevented a police officer from being involved in an exchange of gunfire.”
Boston Dynamics, the company behind the creation of the SPOT robot, acknowledged in a statement that the recent incident involving Roscoe marked the first time one of their robotic dogs had been shot.
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