Steely ‘Policeman’ Startles Gunman Into Surrendering

The sight of a camera-equipped police robot named “Max” was all it took to persuade a 27-year-old man who had locked himself inside his apartment with several weapons to surrender and end a four-hour standoff.

Charles Ray Alexander emerged without incident Wednesday when the $40,000 robot broke a window, pulled back a curtain and confronted him, police said Thursday.

“What we wanted to do was just take a look around in there,” said Sgt. Carl Craft of the tactical squad. “It (the robot) broke an outside window and looked around. When he (Alexander) saw the camera on it, he decided to come out.”