Armed police handcuffed and searched a student at a highschool in Baltimore County, Maryland, this week after an AI-driven safety system flagged the teenager’s empty bag of chips as a attainable firearm.
Baltimore County officers at the moment are calling for a evaluation of how Kenwood High School makes use of the AI gun detection system and why the teenager ended up in handcuffs regardless of college security officers shortly figuring out there was no weapon.
“They made me get on my knees, put my hands behind my back, and cuffed me,” Kenwood student Taki Allen informed NCS affiliate WBAL, describing what occurred Monday night when police arrived on the college whereas he was ready with associates for a journey residence after soccer observe.
“They searched me, and they figured out I had nothing. Then, they went over to where I was standing and found a bag of chips on the floor,” Allen mentioned.
He described a distressing scene with a heavy police response.
“The first thing I was wondering was, was I about to die? Because they had a gun pointed at me,” Allen informed WBAL, saying about “eight cop cars” pulled as much as the college.
“I was just holding a Doritos bag — it was two hands and one finger out, and they said it looked like a gun,” Allen informed WBAL.
The AI-powered safety system on the college is only one instance of how faculties are approaching security within the age of mass gun violence. AI tools have exploded in recognition in recent times, together with instruments to assist monitor surveillance footage.
NCS reached out to the Baltimore County Police Department for remark. The division informed WBAL officers responded to “a report of a suspicious person with a weapon” however decided the particular person was unarmed after a search.
Kenwood Principal Kate Smith mentioned the college district’s safety division reviewed and canceled the gun detection alert after confirming there was no weapon, in accordance with a assertion despatched to oldsters that was shared with NCS. Smith mentioned she reported the matter to Kenwood’s college useful resource officer, who referred to as native police for assist.
The principal didn’t instantly notice the alert had been canceled, a spokesperson for Baltimore County Public Schools informed WBAL.
“We understand how upsetting this was for the individual that was searched as well as the other students who witnessed the incident,” Smith mentioned within the assertion. “Please know that ensuring the safety of our students and school community is one of our highest priorities.”
Omnilert, the corporate that operates the AI gun detection system, expressed remorse over the incident and emphasised that its system is designed to establish a attainable menace and elevate it to human evaluation.
“We regret that this incident occurred and wish to convey our concern to the student and the wider community affected by the events that followed,” the corporate informed NCS.
“While the object was later determined not to be a firearm, the process functioned as intended: to prioritize safety and awareness through rapid human verification,” the corporate added.
The AI gun detection system has been utilized in Baltimore County public faculties since 2023, analyzing video from the faculties’ current safety cameras, Superintendent Myriam Rogers mentioned throughout a information convention Wednesday.
Rogers referred to as Monday’s incident “truly unfortunate” and mentioned the district by no means needs to place any of its college students in such a scary scenario.
The heavy-handed response to the false alarm has sparked outrage locally, with Allen’s grandfather Lamont Davis demanding accountability.
“Something has got to be done,” he mentioned to WBAL. “Changes have to be made and people have to be held accountable.”
Baltimore County officers say they need a evaluation of the method that led to Monday’s police response.
“No child in our school system should be accosted by police for eating a bag of Doritos,” Baltimore County Councilman Izzy Patoka mentioned in a statement on social media, calling on the college district “to review procedures around its AI-powered weapon detection system.”
Baltimore County Councilman Julian Jones additionally referred to as for a evaluation of the use of the AI system “to make sure there are safeguards in place, so this type of error does not happen again,” in accordance with WBAL.
Superintendent Rogers mentioned reviewing the system and safety practices in Baltimore County faculties “is part of our regular practice.”