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Sunday, July 17, 2016

Killer Robot Used By Dallas Police Opens Ethical Debate


DALLAS (AP) — When Dallas police used a bomb-carrying robot to kill a sniper, they also kicked off an ethical debate about technology’s use as a crime-fighting weapon.

In what appears to be an unprecedented tactic, police rigged a bomb-disposal robot to kill an armed suspect in the fatal shootings of five officers in Dallas. While there doesn’t appear to be any hard data on the subject, security experts and law enforcement officials said they couldn’t recall another time when U.S. police have deployed a robot with lethal intent.

The strategy opens a new chapter in the escalating use of remote and semi-autonomous devices to fight crime and protect lives. It also raises new questions over when it’s appropriate to dispatch a robot to kill dangerous suspects instead of continuing to negotiate their surrender.

“If lethally equipped robots can be used in this situation, when else can they be used?” says Elizabeth Joh, a University of California at Davis law professor who has followed U.S. law enforcement’s use of technology. “Extreme emergencies shouldn’t define the scope of more ordinary situations where police may want to use robots that are capable of harm.”

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18 comments:

Anonymous said...

This saved the taxpayers a LOT OF MONEY!!! The negotiations took place surrender, come out.....he refused equals dead. Saved us all kinds of money....

Anonymous said...

Since there is plenty of evidence that this entire event was a HOAX, it is probable that the use of the robot for murdering a citizen was the pretext for the event?

Was the perp a member of intelligence? Did he really die, or was the explosion the cover for him to escape? Were the local police privy to the intelligence operation?

So many questions.

Anonymous said...

It did the job in a most dangerous situation saved more lives--enough said.

Anonymous said...

Judge DREDD

Anonymous said...


R2D2 meets Dirty Harry...."Do you feel lucky, punk?"

Anonymous said...

Bring on Chappie!

Anonymous said...

I really question the use of the word robot in all of this. Isn't it really just a glorified remote control car?

Anonymous said...

Your a complete moron....please go stick your head back in the sand.....

Anonymous said...

If Mike Lewis was there he would have just opened up fire one of the 20mm turrets on his tanks and taken him out.

Anonymous said...

He could have given up but chose not to so there should not be any debate over the way they handled this.

Anonymous said...

B.S. it worked and it worked well. Stop crying Libtards.

lmclain said...

It ain't the bomb (he deserved it). Its the precedent.
Drones get armed. Robots deliver the death sentence.
Who draws the lines? When does the executive branch get to be the judicial branch, too?
Who gets to decide who gets killed and under what circumstances?
IF there are innocent people around, does the bomb still get sent in (or launched) to save police lives (don't forget that Bush was ready and willing to shoot down an Amercian jet full of innocent American citizens) or in order to save other innocent people?
Be careful what you are cheering for.....

Anonymous said...

I didn't think this was real...who cares how they killed him we should all just be glad it was done. It saved the tax payers a lot of money now there won't be any court dates, protection for a killer, and a possible insanity charge. I say great job to Dallas police force!

Anonymous said...

Dead men tell no tales.

Anonymous said...

This new rig they used must have taken a lot of planning to plant a remote-controlled bomb on a remote-controlled robot and put them together to take this guy out this is not a spur-of-the-moment hey let's use this type of item. I think the whole thing from giving the sniper his drugs to make him go crazy and shoot people to the end result was all planned

Anonymous said...

you are all expendable. idiots!

Anonymous said...

Great job by the cops! Should deploy these at riots on rioters and looters, will end the crap from them in an hour!

Anonymous said...

He wouldn't have sat in jail for years in Texas anyway. They'll fry your butt in Texas and think nothing of it.