A viral video circulating this week shows an autonomous Waymo vehicle rolling directly into the middle of an LAPD standoff, surprising both witnesses and millions of online viewers.
The clip, recorded from a nearby witness, captured the autonomous car turning left and gliding directly toward a line of armed officers as a suspect lies face-down beside a truck, prompting nervous laughter from bystanders.
Waymo later said the vehicle avoided blocked areas and cleared the scene within seconds, but the moment immediately reignited conversation over how AVs behave when confronted with situations no engineer can fully script.
Waymo vehicle travels through an LAPD standoff in viral video
As the Waymo vehicle continued forward, a man lay face down beside a truck while LAPD officers shouted commands behind him. A police helicopter circled overhead, adding to the chaos. People filming the scene laughed nervously as the car crept into view, looking as if it had wandered onto the set of an action film.
Shortly after the clip spread, X account @RT_com, a known Russian propaganda account, tweeted, “Waymo with passengers just drove into a middle of standoff. It doesn’t have a crossfire in its program — it guessed the best option is to go under the fire. The RoboCop we deserve.”
Waymo, however, offered a different view of what happened. A company spokesperson told the Daily Dot, “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.”
The spokesperson also provided additional background information, explaining that “a fully autonomous Waymo vehicle was serving riders in Los Angeles, when it came across a street blocked by police vehicles.”
“Our vehicle proceeded to turn into an un-blocked area, where other human-driven vehicles were also traveling, and quickly cleared the scene. The Waymo was in the immediate vicinity of the event for no more than 15 seconds.”
Social media reactions to the video
Once the new clip circulated, folks on social media jumped in to share their takes on the situation. Many viewers cracked jokes about the car’s confidence, while others questioned how autonomous systems interpreted chaotic scenes. Some people argued that human drivers might have done the same thing.
@Oh_Katie_Babie tweeted, “Waymo saw someone in need of a ride. Nothing wrong here.”
@JDAbstrakt joked, “the only thing that could have possibly made this funnier is if it ran over the suspect 😂😂😂😂😂”
“I love how even the guy on the ground was just looking up at the Waymo questioning why the hell it’s just driving through,” @RasputinKaiser added.
u/NaughtyTrouserSnake wrote on Reddit, “Order a Waymo, get a Delamain Cab instead.”
Meanwhile, several posts pointed out that the car avoided officers and cleared the area without causing harm. Still, others stressed that the presence of passengers in the vehicle made the situation feel more intense.
@lustrouscrow_05 asked, “Why does it slow down in the middle of the intersection. Is it thinking to itself ‘am I doing this right?’”
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