LOS ANGELES – Video shows police arresting a man suspected of attempting to carjack a driverless Waymo robotaxi in downtown Los Angeles, KCAL reported.
LAPD officers responded to the incident, finding the man, reportedly under the influence, seated in the driver’s seat of a Waymo Jaguar I-PACE, according to the report. The seat is typically vacant as the vehicles operate autonomously.
Footage from the scene shows officers approaching the Waymo vehicle with ballistic shields before opening the door and removing the man, who was then taken into custody.
Waymo, which launched its fully autonomous ride-hailing service in Los Angeles in November, said unauthorized individuals cannot manually operate its vehicles, according to the report. The company’s automated driving systems are designed to prevent disengagement, and if a person enters the driver’s seat, Waymo’s Rider Support team intervenes remotely.
In a statement, Waymo said its Emergency Response Team works with law enforcement in such cases. Instances of unauthorized attempts to control the vehicles have been rare, the company noted, citing over 5 million rides completed.
The vehicles, powered by Waymo’s proprietary system of hardware and software, include sensors, cameras and an AI platform, according to the report. The technology ensures safe navigation on surface streets but is not authorized for freeway use in Los Angeles.
