A Waymo flagged a ghost gun inside a ride with two teenagers, turning a routine trip into a police standoff

A routine ride through San Francisco took a serious turn after a Waymo vehicle detected a firearm inside the car and alerted police. Two juvenile passengers were later arrested after officers allegedly found a loaded AR-style ghost gun inside the vehicle.

According to the NYPost, the autonomous vehicle stopped and contacted authorities after its monitoring system flagged the firearm. The incident led to a high-risk police stop involving the two teenagers.

Police responded to the vehicle and carried out a high-risk traffic stop. The two passengers, a boy and a girl, were detained before officers searched the car and found the loaded weapon.

The robotaxi stopped before the police moved in

San Francisco police said the vehicle was stopped after authorities received a report about passengers possessing a firearm. Officers found the AR-style rifle inside, along with suspected marijuana and mace spray.

The two juveniles were taken into custody and booked into the Juvenile Justice Center. Their identities have not been released because they are minors.

The investigation remains active, according to police. Authorities have not publicly detailed how Waymo’s internal systems identified the firearm.

In a report by TheVerge, Waymo later confirmed that one of its vehicles was involved. A company spokesperson said the vehicle safely pulled over, alerted emergency services and cooperated with police.

The incident shows just how unusual a ride in a driverless vehicle can become when the car itself becomes part of the emergency response. Instead of a human driver deciding to call police, Waymo’s system detected a violation and triggered the response.

This was not the first time a Waymo ride involving teenagers ended with police being contacted. The Verge reported that the company previously stopped another vehicle after detecting passengers drinking alcohol and firing a toy gun inside the car.

That earlier incident also involved juveniles. Waymo reportedly alerted authorities after its system detected the behavior, adding another example of the company intervening when passengers violate its rules.

The latest case is far more serious as officers say they found an actual loaded firearm. Police are now handling the incident as an active criminal investigation.

Police have not released additional details about the teenagers or said who owned the firearm. The investigation is ongoing, with the loaded weapon and the other items found inside the Waymo now part of the case.