Self-driving car rats out teen joyriders to police (VIDEO)

Waymo has remotely turned two teenage joyriders over to police in California after the camera-equipped robotaxi allegedly caught them drinking alcohol and firing a toy gun from the vehicle.

Waymo operates fully autonomous ride-hailing services in several US cities. Its robotaxis are equipped with interior and exterior cameras. According to the company, cabin cameras are used to help keep vehicles clean, recover lost property, assist in emergencies and, in urgent situations, allow support staff to access a live video feed.

In a Facebook post on Tuesday, the San Mateo Police Department said officers had detained two 15-year-olds after Waymo reported they were “drinking and shooting from the vehicle.”

After alerting police, Waymo remotely steered the robotaxi into a parking lot, where officers surrounded the vehicle and took the teenagers into custody. Video released by the department shows several officers, some carrying rifles, approaching and searching the car.

Police later determined the suspected weapon was an Orbeez toy gun that fires water-absorbent polymer beads. The department warned that toy, water and BB guns can easily be mistaken for real firearms, creating potentially dangerous situations for both the public and those carrying them.