SWAT’s Spot robot fired multiple times during the encounter.

Point robot Boston Dynamics Massachusetts State Police (MSP) officer was shot and killed during a confrontation in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

This is believed to be the first time a robotic assistant has been shot while on active duty, and it shows how the machine can help law enforcement stay out of harm’s way in difficult situations.

The incident occurred earlier this month when a SWAT team responded to a call about a suspected gunman barricaded inside a building. When crews arrived, the suspect opened fire on officers, prompting them to use Spot along with two PackBot 510 robots to help locate the suspect inside the home.

“The deployment of remote-controlled robotic platforms allowed the team to safely gather critical information and provide situational awareness of the suspect and the interior of the home,” MSP said in a Facebook post Wednesday.

Spot, identified by MSP as Roscoe, was sent to the basement by a remote operator and “was about to open another door when the male suspect suddenly emerged from the bedroom armed with a rifle.”

The suspect grabbed Roscoe and ran away with the rifle in his hand. However, he didn’t realize that Spot had the ability to get back on his feet, a maneuver that Roscoe performed with ease before chasing the suspect down the stairs (yes, he can handle stairs too).

“When the suspect realized with apparent surprise that Roscoe was standing behind him on the stairs, he knocked the robot down again and then raised the rifle in Roscoe’s direction. “Suddenly the robot lost contact.”

MSP later discovered that the suspect shot Roscoe three times, causing the robot to malfunction. SWAT operators then subdued the man with tear gas before he surrendered without further incident.

“This incident provides a clear example of the benefits of mobile platforms capable of opening doors and climbing stairs in tactical missions involving armed suspects,” MSP said. “In addition to providing clearing capabilities and critical situational awareness, introducing Roscoe into the suspect’s home avoided the need to bring in human operators and an actual dog at this point in the response, and potentially avoided having a police officer or dog involved in a shootout.

Roscoe was later taken to Boston Dynamics, where the damage was assessed and the bullets removed. The company has asked to retain Roscoe for research purposes and will provide MSP with a new location.

News of the incident came the same day Boston Dynamics published a blog post about how first responders can effectively use Spot. The company said that since Spot became available for purchase in 2020 after years of development, it has been identifying survivors at disaster sites, helping law enforcement resolve hostage situations, assisting in drug lab investigations and conducting structural investigations. post-fire research.