SFPD is proposing to use robots to kill suspects in 'rare' circumstances - with the force's 12 bots set to assist officers with deadly force and ground support.
The new policy proposal is to be debated next week by the San Francisco Board of Supervisors Rules Committee and will define how the SFPD is allowed to use its military-style weapons.
One way the machines can cause deadly harm is by attaching a PAN disruptor device - which uses shotgun shells - to the robot. This can then fire bullets at the suspect.
Another method would be strapping explosives to a robot and then using it to blow up a suspect - which was a technique used in Dallas in 2016, according to Daily Mail.
The draft policy has been scrutinized over the past several weeks by supervisors Aaron Peskin, Rafael Mandelman and Connie Chan, who make up the committee.
Peskin, the chair of the committee, initially attempted to limit the SFPD's authority over the robot's. "Robots shall not be used as a Use of Force against any person," Peskin wrote.
This was struck out by the police department and replaced it with language that codifies the department's authority to use lethal force using robots.
"Robots will only be used as a deadly force option when risk of loss of life to members of the public or officers are imminent and outweigh any other force option available to SFPD."
Robot use-of-force has never been approved in San Francisco, nor has it been prohibited.
A version of the draft policy was unanimously accepted by the rules committee last week and will come before the full board on November 29.
'The original policy they submitted was actually silent on whether robots could deploy lethal force,' said Peskin to mission local.
MP/PR
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