A high school student in Baltimore County, Maryland was reportedly handcuffed and searched after an AI security system flagged his bag of chips as a possible firearm.
Taki Allen, a student at Kenwood High School, said he was holding a Doritos bag with two hands and one finger out when the system identified it as looking like a gun. As a result, Allen stated that he was made to get on his knees, put his hands behind his back, and was handcuffed.
In a statement shared with parents, Principal Katie Smith said the school’s security department had reviewed and canceled the gun detection alert. However, Principal Smith, who did not immediately realize the alert had been canceled, reported the situation to the school resource officer, who then called the local police.
Omnilert, the company that operates the AI gun detection system, told CNN it regrets that this incident occurred and wishes to convey its concern to the student and the wider community affected by the events that followed. Nonetheless, Omnilert stated that the process functioned as intended.