Police issue warning about toy guns after Waymo car incident involving teenagers

An incident involving a Waymo robotaxi in San Mateo, California, has prompted local police to issue a public warning about the risks of carrying toy weapons in public. Two 15-year-olds were detained after allegedly using the self-driving vehicle while drinking alcohol and shooting water guns filled with Orbeez, small water-absorbing beads, from its windows.

The San Mateo Police Department said officers removed both teenagers from the vehicle after the autonomous taxi pulled into a parking lot and contacted authorities on its own. The department shared video of the incident on Facebook, along with the message: “Parents do you know where your teens are? Waymo does!”

Police used the incident to caution the public more broadly. “Toy guns, water guns, and BB guns all pose real dangers, especially to an untrained eye. The simple handling of them can cause fear in [passersby],” the department said.

The case has also drawn attention to the safety systems built into self-driving vehicles. Waymo says its vehicles are equipped with internal cameras and microphones designed to support passenger safety, though the company has not disclosed the exact sequence of events that led the vehicle to notify police, and had not responded to media requests for comment at the time reports were published.