Dallas Police Force's Use Of Bomb-Carrying Robot Could Set Dangerous Precedent

The same type of bomb-carrying robot that Dallas police used to kill a sniper who shot and killed five officers during a Black Lives Matter rally could easily be fashioned and deployed by dozens of other police forces across the country. The robot that officers used to kill Micah Xavier Johnson is designed to find and disarm bombs, not deliver them. Robotics experts said the incident was the first time law enforcement has used a robot in a targeted killing in the U.S. These bomb-detecting robots are fairly inexpensive, often costing less than 10,000 each. But local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies can also request the devices at no cost through the military's 1033 program, which gives used military equipment that would otherwise be thrown away to U.S. law enforcement agencies.