Waymo driverless taxi takes passengers into apparent police standoff

A Waymo self-driving car (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images)

(LOS ANGELES) – A Waymo driverless taxi drove a passenger into an apparent police standoff in downtown Los Angeles last week, according to a video posted online Monday.

The Waymo taxi came across a street blocked by police vehicles early Friday before turning into an area that was not blocked off where other vehicles were also traveling, according to a Waymo spokesperson.

Officers were conducting a high-risk felony arrest after a stolen vehicle pursuit at around 3:40 a.m. when the Waymo drove through an intersection, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

Waymo said the vehicle was in the vicinity of the event for “no more than 15 seconds.”

“Safety is our highest priority at Waymo, both for people who choose to ride with us and with whom we share the streets. When we encounter unusual events like this one, we learn from them as we continue improving road safety and operating in dynamic cities,” a spokesperson for Waymo said in a statement to ABC News.

Officers had not yet blocked off traffic when the Waymo vehicle drove through but did so afterward, the LAPD said.

The incident did not impact the LAPD’s tactics, police said. The LAPD also said it has a 24/7 hotline for coordinating issues with Waymo.

Waymo began operating its driverless taxis in Los Angeles early last year and opened its service to everyone in November 2024.