July 09, 2016•Update: July 09, 2016
By Barry Eitel
SAN FRANCISCO
The Dallas Police Department used an explosive-laden robot to kill a suspected shooter, city officials said Friday, likely the first time U.S. police force has used a robot to kill a suspect.
On Thursday night, a suspect allegedly killed five police officers and injured several more at a protest against police brutality in the downtown area of the city.
Police Chief David Brown revealed at a press conference Friday that police killed Micah Xavier Johnson using a bomb defusing robot equipped with explosives; essentially, an improvised explosive device.
Security experts believe it is the first time a police force has used a robot to lethally neutralize a suspect.
“We saw no other option but to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension for it to detonate where the suspect was,” Brown said.
Authorities decided to use the robot because they said Johnson was actively targeting police.
“Other options would have exposed our officers to great danger," Brown said. “The suspect is deceased as a result of detonating the bomb.”
The device used was a remote-controlled robot on wheels. The robot is topped with an arm on top that is usually utilized to defuse suspicious objects.
Police forces across the country have used robots to deploy teargas and other non-lethal weapons, but the bomb used Thursday evening is the first time a police department used a robot with the specific intent of killing a suspect.
