Police Robot Dog Shot During Standoff in Massachusetts

A Massachusetts State Police robot dog named Roscoe was recently shot several times. The attack came from a suspect who had barricaded himself inside a home during a tense standoff with authorities. Reports say the armed suspect — identified as 30-year-old Justin Moreira — opened fire at the robot dog. State troopers had deployed the dog inside the home to locate the suspect.

Interestingly, Boston Dynamics — the Massachusetts-based company credited with manufacturing these law enforcement mobile robot dogs — revealed no suspect has ever shot a police robot dog on duty and disabled its communication. This was the first incident.

Massachusetts State Police robot dog ‘Roscoe’ shot during standoff

On Mar. 6, the Massachusetts SWAT team responded to a home in Barnstable, as per NBC News reporting. This came after receiving reports of Moreira holding his victim at knife-point. Fortunately, the victim had managed to get away from Moreira by the time State Police arrived. What followed was a standoff between Moreira, who had a rifle, and the police.

Since it was risky for officers to enter the two-story home without knowing where exactly Moreira was hiding, they sent in Roscoe and two other robot dogs to locate the suspect on their behalf. Usually, police remotely control these robot dogs as they pursue a suspect.

Once inside the home, Roscoe — which has the ability to open doors, descend and ascend stairs, and right itself when knocked down — first checked the first and second floor of the home, before eventually heading to the basement, where an armed Moreira was hiding.

Moreira shot the robot dog three times, disabling its communication with the troopers outside. Eventually, police were able to arrest Moreira after firing tear gas throughout the house.

In a statement, state police applauded Roscoe’s heroic efforts. They also acknowledged the vital role that mobile robot dogs play in law enforcement.

“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,” the statement read.

State police also noted that “the insertion of Roscoe into the suspect’s residence prevented the need, at that stage of response, from inserting human operators,” and that it prevented “a police officer from being involved in gunfire.”