An armed man opened fire on law enforcement from inside a home. Roscoe, sent inside the house, was shot three times and disabled.
But Knewz.com has learned “Roscoe” can be replaced, and could be repaired. That’s because it’s a robot dog used by the Massachusetts State Police.
Roscoe went into action Wednesday, March 6 at a home in Barnstable. The State Police went to Cape Cod to assist a SWAT team because a man had barricaded himself inside and was firing a rifle and a handgun.
A state police statement issued Wednesday, March 27 said the four-legged robot went first through the upper two stories of the home to make sure no humans were there. Family members already had been evacuated safely out a window.
Then Roscoe moved to a basement, operated entirely by remote control by a member of the Bomb Squad.
After checking a closet, the suspect identified by Barnstable Police as Justin Moreira, 30, came out of a bedroom with his rifle.
“The suspect attempted to knock Roscoe over and was eventually successful in doing so,” the state police statement says.
Then Moreira allegedly started climbing the stairs, with Roscoe aright and trailing behind. The police explained robot dogs are built to return to an upright position if knocked down.
“He again knocked the robot over and then raised his rifle in… Roscoe’s direction,” the statement continued. “The robot suddenly lost communications.”
Only after the drama ended did officers learn what happened to Roscoe. They say Moreira shot it three times, putting it out of commission.
But the state police had two other bomb squad robots waiting outside the back door of the house. Moreira reportedly shot at one of them, but hit a swimming pool instead.
“SWAT operators subsequently introduced tear gas into the house,” the state police statement said.
“Finally, a specialty ballistic vehicle with an attached demolition tool arrived on scene,” Barnstable Police reported on Facebook. That persuaded Moreira to surrender after a seven-hour standoff.
Moreira now is held on attempted murder and firearms charges. Jail records indicate he’s in a state mental hospital.
But no humans were hurt in the standoff. That’s why state police used robots in the first place.
“The insertion of Roscoe into the suspect residence prevented the need, at that stage of response, from inserting human operators or a real dog,” the statement explained. That could have led to a shootout with the gunman.
The Massachusetts State Police has two robot dogs. Ironically, the proper registered trademark name for them is “Spot.”
Boston Dynamics created them to have a variety of uses. The company’s website says Spot can find hazardous conditions at construction sites or do work at research labs.
A Boston Dynamics blog post noted its robots also are used by Los Angeles police, the New York Fire Department and first responders from Germany to Western Australia.
More than 1,000 Spots currently are in use. They measure 43 by 20 by 7.5 inches.
They’re different from “metaDog,” a Chinese creation using artificial intelligence which Knewz.com mentioned in recent days.
The Associated Press quoted a Boston Dynamics statement which said this was the first time a Spot had been shot. Its rifle shells have been removed and Massachusetts State Police plans to replace it.
“It’s a great example of how mobile robots like Spot can be used to save lives,” the company said.
The post Police ‘Robot Dog’ Takes Bullets in 7-Hour SWAT Standoff, Drawing Fire Away From Officers appeared first on Knewz.
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Author: Richard Burkard
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