Police in the US state of San Francisco have been given permission to use dangerous remote-controlled robots during emergency situations.
The controversial policy was approved after weeks of deliberation among city government board members.
Police say the department does not have armed robots, nor does the police plan to arm them with weapons.
Police said the robots could be equipped with an ‘explosive charge’ to deal with a dangerous armed suspect in the event of a threat to human life.
Police spokeswoman Alison Maxey said robots equipped with these devices would only be used in extreme situations.
The policy has been amended to use these advanced robots after which only senior police officers will control the robots for stricter measures.