A bizarre scene unfolded in downtown Los Angeles as a man attempted to hijack a self-driving taxi in the early hours of Thursday. According to Patch, the incident took place near South Hill and Fifth Streets, where the man was found in the driver's seat of a white Jaguar, an autonomous vehicle operated by Waymo. Police indicated that the man might have been under the influence during the occurrence.
Officers responded to the incident shortly before 1 a.m. and found the man refusing to vacate the taxi. An officer eventually had to open the taxi's door and physically extricate the individual from the vehicle. As reported by KTLA, the video showed the officers approaching the man behind a riot shield. The man was handcuffed and led away, though it was unclear why he initially entered the Waymo.
The suspect's identity was not released immediately as the investigation commenced into the motives behind his attempt to commandeer the autonomous taxi. "The motive behind the incident was under investigation," as stated by ABC7.
