Waymo autonomous taxi drives passengers into apparent police standoff

Last week, a Waymo self-driving taxi unintentionally entered a police standoff in downtown Los Angeles, a video shared online on Monday revealed. According to a spokesperson from Waymo, the vehicle encountered a street blocked by police early Friday morning and redirected into an area where traffic was still moving.

The Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) reported that officers were carrying out a high-risk felony arrest following a stolen vehicle chase around 3:40 a.m. when the Waymo car passed through an intersection.

Waymo clarified that the autonomous vehicle was near the scene for "no more than 15 seconds." The company emphasized that passenger and public safety remain its top priority, and unusual situations like this one are used to improve operational safety in complex urban environments.

The LAPD noted that traffic had not yet been fully blocked when the Waymo vehicle passed but was controlled shortly afterward. Authorities confirmed that the incident did not affect their law enforcement procedures and highlighted a 24/7 hotline for coordinating with Waymo on such events.

Waymo started offering its autonomous taxi service in Los Angeles in early 2024 and expanded availability to the general public in November of the same year.

Author: Zoe Harrison