NORTHEAST MIAMI-DADE, FLA. (WSVN) - Following an hours-long standoff on Tuesday between law enforcement and a barricaded man who was armed in Northeast Miami-Dade, officers had an unlikely ally that came to their aid.
Miami-Dade Police were assisted by Spot, a robotic addition that was introduced to the department in 2023. Spot is used by the Special Response Team for special situations.
The department explained how Spot is utilized in a video posted to social media.
“Spot will be utilized on all barricaded subjects, and hostage rescue incidents where there is a value in introducing technology to gain valuable information rather than placing officers in harms way.”
In exclusive video captured by 7News, Spot was able to clear a path for the Special Response Team during Tuesday’s barricade.
It allowed officers to approach a vehicle safely to get the get 27-year old Darnell Paul into handcuffs.
Spot’s abilities range from relatively simple movements.
“Opening doors, retrieving objects, climbing stairs, and offering visual feedback to the operator,” said MDPD Lt. Francis Rego.
The robotic dog also allows officers to speak through it.
After the takedown, Miami-Dade Police spoke about how cutting-edge Spot is.
“It is a tool of the Special Response Team, they have had other robots in their inventory but this is just state-of-the-art technology,” said Edgardo Caneva, Assistant Director of Public Safety and Emergency Response Services.
But this isn’t the first time robotics have been used in the country’s police force.
“They’re a great tool,” said Caneva. “They offer us opportunities to go upstairs, open doors, pick up objects automatically, in this case with the Boston Dynamics robot.”
Massachusetts State Police have their own robotic dog called Roscoe, which was provided by robotics company Boston Dynamics.
The team used Roscoe during a standoff that came under fire when an armed suspect shot it with a rifle.
“He was shot three times. Once in the hands of the gripper, once in the elbow, and one to the body,” said Massachusetts State Police Trooper John Ragosa.
These type of robotic tools allow teams all over the country to diffuse the most critical and sensitive of situations, which allows human and dogs alike to stay out of potentially dangerous operations.
“In this case a robotic dog went down there first and took the rounds that could of been meant for somebody else,” said Ragosa.
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