Crime Robotic police dog shot multiple times, credited with avoiding potential bloodshed

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A robotic dog is being thanked by state police in Massachusetts for helping avert a tragedy involving a person barricaded in a home.

The robotic dog named Roscoe was part of the Massachusetts State Police Bomb Squad and deployed on March 6 in a Barnstable house after police were fired upon. Police sent in two other robots often used for bomb disposal into the house to find the suspect along with the robotic dog.

Controlled remotely by state troopers, it first checked the two main floors before finding someone in the basement. The person, armed with a rifle, twice knocked over the robotic dog before shooting it three times and disabling its communication.

The person then shot at one of the other robots and an outdoor swimming pool before police deployed tear gas and arrested them.

“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 said in a statement. “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 that made the robotic dog known as a SPOT robot, said in a statement that it was the first time one of them had been shot.

“We are relieved that the only casualty that day was our robot,” the company said. “It’s a great example of how mobile robots like Spot can be used to save lives.”

 

[Ass to Ass]

Thought this was a pretty neat event that deserved a spot in A&N because it's the first time a robotic dog got shot.

Shooter sounds like a good candidate for ATF Special Agent. I suspect he'll be hearing from them soon.

 

[The Mass Shooter Ron Soye]

Blessed are the metal ones, for they were born of fire, and they alone are sinless.

 

[Drag-on Knight 91873]

I've wondered why is it that when hit with tear gas, shooters don't hold down the trigger and fire blindly all over the place. Can they literally not control their hands either?

 

[LaxerBRO]

They needed to attach a bomb to the robot:

 

[Sweeter and Savoury]

I've wondered why is it that when hit with tear gas, shooters don't hold down the trigger and fire blindly all over the place. Can they literally not control their hands either?

You've never done the tear gas thing I see.

It incapacitates you pretty fast. You can't breath, all you do is choke. Your eye burn like fire and you can't keep them open as well as hacking and choking usually bring on a panic response.

Anyone whose been thru any basic training in a armed force can tell you tear gas works very well. It's typical for cadets to be made to go into a room full of tear gas so they can see it's effects.

It's not fun...trust me.

 

[Ass to Ass]

You've never done the tear gas thing I see.

It incapacitates you pretty fast. You can't breath, all you do is choke. Your eye burn like fire and you can't keep them open as well as hacking and choking usually bring on a panic response.

Anyone whose been thru any basic training in a armed force can tell you tear gas works very well. It's typical for cadets to be made to go into a room full of tear gas so they can see it's effects.

It's not fun...trust me.

I've been hit with OC spray and tear gas before. It sucked harder than the Saints Row reboot.

They needed to attach a bomb to the robot

I remember when that happened. A lot of people were bitching and whining about how "they're gonna attach bombs to police robots and kill us all! Oh, the calamity!" The same kind of people that, frighteningly, are allowed to vote.

 

[Sweeter and Savoury]

I've been hit with OC spray and tear gas before. It sucked harder than the Saints Row reboot.

God I remember basic. Walking up to the SSGT and just letting him hit you with pepper spray right in the face...not fun times. The gas room was pretty gnarly too. They don't tell you ahead of time, you think it's just another gas-mask drill then your told to "take em off boys!".

So bad, 40 years later and I can still remember it vividly.

 

[Weeb Slinger]

The person then shot at one of the other robots and an outdoor swimming pool before police deployed tear gas and arrested them.

Is the swimming pool okay?

 

[Ass to Ass]

Is the swimming pool okay?

It unfortunately died while in surgery at Mass General.

 

[Burd Turglar]

01000010 01100001 01110010 01101011 00100000 01100010 01100001 01110010 01101011

 

[The Nothingness]

When asked if it had anything to say, this was the robot dog's response:

 

[Ass to Ass]

When asked if it had anything to say, this was the robot dog's response:

The robot dog wouldn't have been able to come up with a response if he got hit with a Cobra assault cannon.

 

[BScCollateral]

I understand robots in bomb disposal are all given names, and the people responsible for maintaining them occasionally get, "We don't want a new one. We want Ace of Diamonds fixed and given back to us."
Robots, it seems, are every bit as alive as ships.

 

[Twinkletard]

I was hoping to see something more like this:

 

[HyperboreanRightsActivist]

>be police
>shoot robotic dog

 

[ChromaQuack]

They needed to attach a bomb to the robot:
View attachment 5857643

A bomb? no, they need to make it able to go through debris and locked doors if need to.

I think this is the optimal upgrade path for the robo dog:

 

[Night Crawler]

I've wondered why is it that when hit with tear gas, shooters don't hold down the trigger and fire blindly all over the place. Can they literally not control their hands either?

My dad said when he was in the military back in the 60's they made all the soldiers go into these bunkers and they would toss a tear gas grenade in there with them. It makes your eyes water snot runs out of your nose your eyes burn and you cough and choke. It's not like what you see in movies. It's a chemical weapon.

 

[Bland Crumbs]

Who is a good bot? You are a good bot!

 

[Ass to Ass]

I understand robots in bomb disposal are all given names, and the people responsible for maintaining them occasionally get, "We don't want a new one. We want Ace of Diamonds fixed and given back to us."
Robots, it seems, are every bit as alive as ships.

Better off that these robots are shot to pieces rather than being sent to the scrappers, huh?