In an interesting event, a smart home device helped to end a domestic fight by calling the police. The incident happened near Albuquerque, the largest city in the state of New Mexico, US. Where a home device called the police when a couple was involved in a violent dispute at their home.
According to ABC News, police were called to a home outside Albuquerque this week when a smart gadget called 911 and the operator over there heard a conflict in the background. Earlier it was reported that the device was Google Home, but it was found to be wrong. The police did not specify the type of smart device that called them.
According to Police, Eduardo Barros was at the home with his girlfriend and their daughter. The man allegedly pointed a gun at his girlfriend after they got into an argument. When the man asked her girlfriend “Did you call the sheriffs?”, a smart device at their home seemingly heard the phrase “call the sheriffs,” and proceeded to call the police.
A SWAT team arrived at the home after the incident. The team took Barros into custody and charged him with possession of a firearm, aggravated battery and assault against a household member, and false imprisonment. Police told ABC News that the man’s girlfriend had minor injuries and the couple’s daughter was safe and unharmed.
Manuel Gonzales III, Bernalillo County Sheriff said in a statement “The unexpected use of this new technology to contact emergency services has possibly helped save a life,”.
This is not the first time when a smart device intervened in such situations. There is another such story of where Amazon Echo helped in a murder case. In a different incident in San Diego, multiple Amazon Echo devices in the area started ordering dollhouses after a local TV news was broadcasting some story which included a related dialogue.
These smart home technologies seem like a savior in some cases. It is a clear indication that smart home devices will surely make such emergency calls in the future too. But it will be interesting to see how our system deals with them as sometimes they may also cause trouble.
