DIXMONT, Maine (AP) A Maine standoff that ended in police using a robot to bomb a home is raising questions about whether more public oversight over such decisions is needed.
The Bangor Daily News reports that the June standoff in Dixmont was likely the first time Maine police ended a standoff by using a robot to deliver an explosive.
Police said they needed to protect themselves from bullets fired by 61-year-old Michael Grendell, who is hospitalized with serious injuries.
It’s rare for police to use explosives against civilians. Dallas police in 2016 used a robot to place an explosive that killed a man suspected in the death of five police officers.
