We’re definitely living in the future.
Police in Novato, California ended a six-hour standoff by delivering a vape pen to the suspect using a robot. What?
The incident started when 40-year-old Juan Roman became angry over problems with the gas pump at a convenience store. He then walked in and splashed gasoline all over the floor while threatening to burn the building down at 7 AM Saturday morning.
“I was so scared!” clerk Sanjeev Kumar said, KGO reported, in the 7 a.m. Saturday incident. “I didn’t want to be close to him; I wanted to stay away.”
Roman walked out of the store and returned with a lighter and a piece of paper, which he ignited and attempted to use to light the gasoline on fire. The gasoline did not catch fire, so Roman left in his pickup truck and fled to a nearby Safeway gas station, where he was met by police.
Officers thought that they saw either a rifle or shotgun stock in a bag in his truck, so they evacuated the area and began negotiating with Roman. Negotiations lasted six hours, and finally ended when Roman requested cigarettes in exchange for surrendering.
Officers were worried that he may have splashed gasoline on himself, so they offered a compromise: a vape pen. Roman accepted, and a police robot delivered the e-cig to Roman in his pickup truck. He then surrendered.
“If we can do something that won’t make the situation more difficult, either deliver food, or water, or cigarettes, if that helps end the situation peacefully, we make that happen,” Lt. Sasha D’Amico of the Novato Police Department said, KPIX reported.
Roman faces charges of attempted arson and vandalism.
