Waymo stops autonomous vehicle after passengers found with illegal ghost gun in San Francisco
Waymo pulled its driverless car over in San Francisco’s Richmond District early Thursday and police arrested two juveniles who possessed a loaded AR-style ghost gun, marijuana and mace.
Shortly before 4 a.m. on Thursday, Waymo’s autonomous car in San Francisco’s Richmond District identified a violation of its terms regarding firearms and pulled over. San Francisco police performed a high-risk vehicle stop, arresting two juvenile passengers—a boy and a girl—and searching the vehicle. Officers discovered a loaded AR-style assault rifle classified as a “ghost gun,” along with suspected marijuana and mace spray.
The minors were booked and transferred to a juvenile detention facility while the case stays open. Waymo confirmed it alerted emergency services, cooperated fully, and later announced regulatory approval to expand its service to 18 California counties. This follows earlier incidents where Waymo reported problematic behavior by riders.
Why it matters
It shows how autonomous-vehicle operators enforce safety rules and work with police in criminal situations.
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