In San Francisco, two juveniles were taken into custody after being found with an illegal ghost gun while riding in a Waymo autonomous vehicle. The incident occurred shortly before 4 a.m. on September 3 in the Richmond District. According to the San Francisco Police Department, officers conducted a high-risk vehicle stop after Waymo detected a violation of its terms of service related to a firearm.
A Waymo spokesperson confirmed the company pulled over the vehicle and notified emergency services, cooperating fully with the police. Upon searching the car, officers discovered a loaded AR-style assault rifle, along with suspected marijuana and mace spray. The two juvenile passengers, a boy and a girl, were detained and taken to juvenile hall.
This event is not the first time Waymo has reported suspicious activity involving its vehicles. In July, the company alerted police after two teenagers were found drinking alcohol and using toy guns inside a Waymo car.
Waymo, originally launched as Google's self-driving car project in 2009 and spun out in 2016, has expanded its autonomous ride-hailing services across multiple cities, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, San Diego, Denver, and Tampa. Recently, California regulators approved Waymo to extend its service area to 18 counties, including San Diego and Sacramento.
The company's autonomous vehicles have occasionally been involved in unusual incidents, such as a man dismantling a Waymo car in East Hollywood and another attempting to drive off in one in downtown Los Angeles.
The investigation into the San Francisco incident remains active as authorities continue their work.