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Bodycam Shows Teen Handcuffed After AI Flags Doritos Bag as Gun

Bodycam video confirms a false alert, prompting a county review of the AI security rollout.

Overview

  • District officials say the Omnilert alert was cleared by human reviewers, but the principal did not see the cancellation before the school resource officer requested police support.
  • Baltimore County Police said officers responded to a report of a person with a weapon, handcuffed and searched the 16-year-old, and determined he had no gun, calling their response appropriate for the information provided.
  • Omnilert said the image closely resembled a firearm, was verified and forwarded for assessment, and that the system functioned as designed despite the false positive.
  • County leaders, including Councilmembers Izzy Patoka and Julian Jones, called for a formal review of the AI deployment and school communication protocols, while Superintendent Myriam Rogers defended the verification process and pledged ongoing review.
  • Body-worn camera footage shows officers realizing the flagged object was a Doritos bag; the school offered counseling, and the student described lasting fear after the incident.