At a high school in Baltimore, an unexpected incident occurred when sixteen-year-old student Taki Allen ended up in handcuffs at the hands of armed police. It all began after football practice, when Taki Allen had a bag of Doritos chips. He put the empty bag in his pocket and went on with his day. Twenty minutes later, eight police cars arrived, and officers pointing their guns at him forced him to kneel on the ground. "They told me to get on my knees, arrested me, and put me in handcuffs," Taki Allen described his experience to local news outlet WMAR-2 News.
How did the detection system work?
The entire incident was triggered by an artificial intelligence system from Omnilert, which the school uses to detect weapons. The tool captured an image of what appeared to be a firearm, but it was actually just a bag of chips. Omnilert explained that its system first detected a suspicious object, and the image was immediately reviewed by its team. The information was then sent to the Baltimore County Public Schools (BCPS) security team within seconds. According to the company, the system worked as intended because it prioritizes safety and prompt human review. Omnilert expressed regret over the incident and concern for the affected student and the community.
Response from the school and police
Principal Kate Smith described in a letter to parents how the security team promptly reviewed the alert and canceled it after confirming that no weapon was present. Nevertheless, she contacted the school safety officer, who called the local police for additional support. Officers searched Taki Allen and soon determined that he did not have a weapon. The Baltimore County Police Department stated that its officers responded appropriately based on the information available at the time. According to police, Taki Allen was handcuffed but not arrested, and the situation was resolved safely because there was no threat.
Impact on the student
Taki Allen now waits inside the building after practice because he does not feel safe outside, especially when eating chips or drinking. "I don't think a bag of chips should be mistaken for a gun," he told WMAR-2 News. Local politician Izzy Patoka called on Facebook for a review of the procedures surrounding the weapons detection system in Baltimore County Public Schools. Omnilert acknowledged that detecting weapons in the real world is complex and said the incident ended as it should have—with prompt confirmation that the object was not a weapon.
Similar systems have faced criticism for their inaccuracy. For example, last year Evolv Technology was prohibited from claiming that its scanner detects all weapons, as this was found to be false. Omnilert presents itself as a leading provider of AI-powered weapons detection and lists a number of U.S. schools among the case studies on its website. This case from Baltimore underscores how quickly a system error can turn into a real police response.
Sources: wmar2news.com and bbc.com
