San Francisco may allow police to deploy robots that kill

By JANIE HAR
Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — The Democratic San Francisco Board of Supervisors could allow police to use potentially lethal, remote-controlled robots in emergency situations. The 11-member board will vote Tuesday on a controversial proposal opposed by civil rights advocates critical of the militarization of police. The San Francisco Police Department said it would like the option to deploy robots equipped with explosive charges to disable suspects when lives are at stake. A new state law requires police and sheriffs departments to inventory its military grade equipment and seek approval for their use. Then-President Donald Trump signed an order in 2017 reviving a Pentagon program that dispenses surplus military equipment after his predecessor, Barack Obama, curtailed it in 2015.