Two juveniles were arrested in San Francisco after authorities allegedly discovered them in possession of an illegal “ghost gun” while riding in a Waymo autonomous vehicle, according to the San Francisco Police Department.
The incident occurred shortly before 4 a.m. on September 3 in the city’s Richmond District. Waymo, the autonomous vehicle operator, detected what it described as “a violation of our terms of service involving a firearm,” according to a company spokesperson. The company pulled the vehicle over and alerted emergency services.
San Francisco police conducted what they characterized as a “high-risk vehicle stop” and detained the two juvenile passengers—a boy and a girl—whose identities were not disclosed. Officers searched the vehicle and discovered a loaded AR-style assault rifle along with what authorities described as “suspected marijuana and mace spray.”
A Waymo spokesperson told The Times that the company “cooperated fully” with San Francisco police during the incident. The investigation remains “open and active,” police said in a statement. The passengers were taken into custody and transported to juvenile hall.
This incident is not the first time Waymo has reported concerning behavior detected within its vehicles. In July, Waymo contacted the San Mateo Police Department after two teens were found drinking alcohol and shooting toy guns inside one of the company’s cars.
The detection raises questions about Waymo’s monitoring capabilities and safety protocols. The company has built automated systems to identify potential violations of its terms of service, which can trigger alerts to emergency services and law enforcement.
Waymo announced today that it received approval from California regulators to expand its service across 18 counties, including San Diego and Sacramento. The company this month launched paid service in San Diego, Denver, and Tampa, Florida. Founded as Google’s self-driving car project in 2009, Waymo spun out of Google in 2016 and has since expanded its operational footprint significantly across California and beyond.
Key facts
- Two juveniles were arrested in a Waymo vehicle in San Francisco after police found a loaded AR-style rifle inside
- Waymo detected a violation of its terms of service and pulled the car over before alerting emergency services
- Officers also discovered suspected marijuana and mace spray in the vehicle
- This is the second time in recent months Waymo has reported concerning behavior to police from passengers in its cars
- Waymo recently received approval to expand operations across 18 California counties