San Francisco U-Turns on Allowing Police to Deploy ‘Killer Robots’ to ’Incapacitate' Dangerous Suspects

Police officers demonstrate some of their security assets, including remote-controlled robots, horse-mounted officers, and bomb-sniffing dogs, in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 14 2016. Michael Mathes/AFP via Getty Images

San Francisco lawmakers on Dec. 6 voted to ban police from using remote-controlled robots that can be equipped with explosive charges, reversing an earlier decision on the matter.

The San Francisco Board of Supervisors voted 8–3 on Tuesday to explicitly ban the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) from using the robots in extreme circumstances.