A presumed armed carjacking suspect is now in police custody after an hours long stand-off off Interstate 95 in NW Miami-Dade today. The interstate was shut down on the southbound side with delays building past Hallandale Beach Boulevard.
The Broward Sheriff's Office reported that a woman was held at gunpoint last night in the 2700 block of South State Road 7, in West Park. That suspect was then tracked down with police in pursuit onto the interstate where he crashed on the off ramp to Miami Gardens Drive this morning. He was barricaded inside the vehicle until just before 9:30 a.m. when Miami-Dade Police Special Response Team Lieutenant Francis Rego says they decided to activate their team's robot dog, Spot.
The over $200,000 robot created by Boston Dynamics, was introduced into the department last year as the next evolution in robot control robotics. SPOT is operated by a trained police officer through a user-friendly touchscreen pad. It can perform a number of capabilities, including opening doors, retrieving objects, and climbing stairs, and provide visual feedback to the operator.
Spot was able to approach the suspect vehicle without risking an officer's wellbeing.