Dallas Police Chief David Brown defended the use of that robot to detonate a bomb where the gunman was hiding.
Remote-controlled robots have been used by the U.S. Military in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan to defuse explosive devices.
In recent years, some local police departments have invested in the technology to investigate suspicious packages and cargo. In Dallas, the delivery of an explosive device by a robot that was used to kill the police shooting suspect was potentially a first in the U.S.
Negotiations to end the standoff went on for ours.
"We saw no other option but to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension for it to detonate where the suspect was," Brown said. "Other options would have exposed our officers to grave danger."
Police have not released details of their tactic. Enedavor Robots says it has sold robots to several police departments in the Dallas area, but wasn't sure if their device was used Thursday night.
"Our whole purpose is to keep people at a safe distance from hazardous conditions we have seen that in Iraq and Afghanistan with the IED threat," said VP of Endeavor Robotics, Tim Trainer.
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