Teens Arrested After Waymo Projectile Incident

San Mateo police detained two 15-year-olds on July 6 after Waymo employees reported the teens were drinking and shooting from inside a driverless vehicle in San Mateo, according to police and local news reports. Officers stopped the car after Waymo shared its location and remotely disabled it near 20th Avenue and El Camino Real, NBC Bay Area reported. Police later determined the teens had been firing an Orbeez gun, a toy that shoots water-filled pellets, and said possible charges were being considered. Waymo’s role in the stop drew attention because the company, according to police, watched the ride through live interior camera feeds and called 911 after employees believed the passengers might be using a real gun. NBC Bay Area reported that San Mateo police treated the stop as high-risk and removed the teens before searching the vehicle and their belongings. Waymo declined to comment to NBC Bay Area and ABC7, those outlets said. (nbcbayarea.com) ### How did the ride end with police waiting for the car? San Mateo police said the incident began with a 911 call from a Waymo representative on Monday afternoon, July 6. Jeanine Luna, a community relations officer for the San Mateo Police Department, told NBC Bay Area that Waymo employees reported “two people in their vehicle” who appeared to be shooting out of it and said they saw “a recoil.” (nbcbayarea.com) NBC Bay Area reported that Waymo then shared the car’s location with police and remotely disabled the vehicle near 20th Avenue and El Camino Real while officers moved into position. To keep the teens inside, police said, the company told them the vehicle was having mechanical trouble. ### What did officers find when they searched the Waymo? (nbcbayarea.com) Officers in San Mateo removed the two teens and searched the car and their property after the stop, NBC Bay Area reported. Investigators determined the riders had been using an Orbeez gun rather than a real firearm, and police said the teens had also been drinking. (nbcbayarea.com) ABC7 and KSBW reported that both riders were 15 years old. NBC Bay Area reported the passengers were 14 and 15. Police statements carried by multiple outlets said the teens were detained and could face charges, but no formal charging decision had been publicly detailed as of July 9. ### Why did police treat it as a high-risk stop? (nbcbayarea.com) Jeanine Luna told NBC Bay Area that toy guns and BB guns can resemble real firearms, especially when they are dark-colored or altered. NBC Bay Area reported police treated the encounter as a high-risk traffic stop because Waymo employees initially believed the object inside the car might be a real gun. (nbcbayarea.com) Kron4, citing Luna, reported that Waymo employees described seeing a black firearm-like object and believed the passengers were firing it. The station reported the vehicle stopped in a shopping center parking lot near El Camino Real and Highway 92, where officers were waiting. ### What does the incident show about Waymo’s passenger monitoring? (nbcbayarea.com) Waymo’s website says its vehicles are equipped with interior cameras and microphones and that the company may share information with law enforcement during emergencies or as permitted by law. NBC Bay Area reported that employees were monitoring live interior camera feeds during the San Mateo ride. (kron4.com) Waymo also says on its website that teen accounts are available in Metro Phoenix for riders ages 14 to 17 with parental permission. The San Mateo incident took place in the Bay Area, where local reports focused on police response and did not say whether the teens were using a teen-specific account or an adult account. ### What happens next for the teens and for Waymo? San Mateo police said possible charges were under review after the July 6 stop. (nbcbayarea.com) The San Mateo Police Department’s website says media inquiries and public records requests are handled through its Community & Media Relations and records channels, which would be the next public source for any report or charging update. (cityofsanmateo.org) (waymo.com)