Waymo pulls over, calls cops on juvenile riders who had 'ghost gun"

Sep 12, 2026 09:16 PM - 2 days ago 5

Two young group riding successful an autonomous conveyance were arrested successful San Francisco aft authorities allegedly recovered them successful possession of an forbidden “ghost gun.”

San Francisco Police Department did not place the usability of the autonomous vehicle, but a Waymo spokesperson confirmed to The Times that the incident progressive 1 of its cars.

The institution pulled the car complete aft detecting a “violation of our position of work involving a firearm,” the spokesperson said. The institution alerted emergency services and “cooperated fully” pinch San Francisco police.

The incident took spot soon earlier 4 a.m. connected Sept. 3 successful the city’s Richmond District, the Police Department said successful a statement Thursday.

The section said officers conducted a “high-risk conveyance stop” and detained the 2 juvenile passengers — a boy and girl. The connection did not place them further.

Officers searched the car and discovered a loaded, AR-style battle rifle, arsenic good arsenic “suspected marijuana and mace spray,” authorities said successful the statement.

The investigation remains “open and active,” constabulary said. The passengers were taken into custody and to a juvenile hall.

San Francisco constabulary did not instantly respond to The Times’ petition for remark Friday.

This wasn’t the first clip Waymo has tattled connected alleged troublemakers. In July, Waymo contacted the San Mateo Police Department aft 2 teens were recovered drinking intoxicant and shooting artifact guns successful the backmost of a car, authorities said astatine the time.

Waymo’s roots day backmost to 2009, erstwhile it was founded arsenic Google’s self-driving car project. Waymo spun retired of Google successful 2016, and has since drastically expanded its work footprint. The hat-topped cars are now a fixture successful San Francisco and Los Angeles, and moreover sparked a beeping backlash in Santa Monica.

The institution this period launched paid work successful San Diego, Denver and Tampa, Fla. Last month, it won support from the California Public Utilities Commission to run successful San Diego, Sacramento and communities successful Orange and Riverside counties, among others.

The institution has occasionally made headlines for bizarre incidents involving its driverless cars. In July, a shirtless man successful East Hollywood was recorded opinionated connected apical of a Waymo while dismantling the car. In 2025, a man successful downtown Los Angeles was taken into custody erstwhile he allegedly tried to get down the instrumentality of a Waymo and thrust off.

More