4 ms·

Well... If you have to chose between sending in your troops/colleagues or a robot, what would you pick?

mikeash 10y ago
The point is, were those their only two choices? It sure sounded like the situation was in hand and they could have just waited.
daedalus_j 10y ago
Tear gas, flashbangs, water cannons, a nice safe armored vehicle... All appropriate (ish) police tools. IEDs: rather less so.
- was_boring 10y ago
  Exactly. If they can have a robot with a bomb, then they can have a robot with tear gas + flashbang. This is the Dallas police department, they have equipment capable of dealing with this situation -- to include armored cars and ballistic shields. I hope the legal process is explored in this case.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
- whamlastxmas 10y ago
  They had one of those super armored trucks (Bearcat) there on location. It even has a little turret on top designed for safely shooting out of. They can withstand multiple .50 rounds to the same location. What's the point of spending millions in purchasing and maintenance on these if you're not going to use them?
eximius 10y ago
Robot. But they sent the robot in with a bomb instead of, say, literally anything else.
Houshalter 10y ago
I mean why send in anyone? He was trapped. Eventually he would have surrendered, or come out where the police could shoot him. Sending in a bomb seems excessive.
ethanbond 10y ago
That's kind of the point though. It's supposed to be difficult for police to kill people prior to their trials.
dTal 10y ago
If you have a robot you can send in with things, you have far more options than "send it in with a bomb". Tranquilizer darts? Chemical agents ("knockout gas")? Although the fact that they refer to it as their "bomb robot" suggests it's single purpose, which is idiotic - it's not clear if it's a bomb disposal robot they repurposed or some wacky military-industrial-complex contraption. Either way, I can't think of any scenario where I'm comfortable with police having bombs.
- ArtDev 10y ago
  It is mentioned elsewhere that the Denver police used a robot with a non-lethal bomb in a similar situation.

The point is, were those their only two choices? It sure sounded like the situation was in hand and they could have just waited.

daedalus_j 10y ago

Tear gas, flashbangs, water cannons, a nice safe armored vehicle... All appropriate (ish) police tools. IEDs: rather less so.

was_boring 10y ago
Exactly. If they can have a robot with a bomb, then they can have a robot with tear gas + flashbang. This is the Dallas police department, they have equipment capable of dealing with this situation -- to include armored cars and ballistic shields. I hope the legal process is explored in this case.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
whamlastxmas 10y ago
They had one of those super armored trucks (Bearcat) there on location. It even has a little turret on top designed for safely shooting out of. They can withstand multiple .50 rounds to the same location. What's the point of spending millions in purchasing and maintenance on these if you're not going to use them?

eximius 10y ago

Robot. But they sent the robot in with a bomb instead of, say, literally anything else.

Houshalter 10y ago

I mean why send in anyone? He was trapped. Eventually he would have surrendered, or come out where the police could shoot him. Sending in a bomb seems excessive.

ethanbond 10y ago

That's kind of the point though. It's supposed to be difficult for police to kill people prior to their trials.

dTal 10y ago

If you have a robot you can send in with things, you have far more options than "send it in with a bomb". Tranquilizer darts? Chemical agents ("knockout gas")? Although the fact that they refer to it as their "bomb robot" suggests it's single purpose, which is idiotic - it's not clear if it's a bomb disposal robot they repurposed or some wacky military-industrial-complex contraption. Either way, I can't think of any scenario where I'm comfortable with police having bombs.

ArtDev 10y ago
It is mentioned elsewhere that the Denver police used a robot with a non-lethal bomb in a similar situation.