Posted on 07/12/2019 1:54:52 PM PDT by Responsibility2nd
A New Mexico man was taken into custody after an Amazon Echo device called the police during an alleged domestic violence incident.
Police say 28-year-old Eduardo Barros got into a physical altercation with his unidentified girlfriend following an argument at a Tijeras residence just outside of Albuquerque on July 2.
Barros, who is also accused of threatening to kill the women while in possession of a firearm, allegedly asked her if she had contacted law enforcement.
“Did you call the sheriffs?” Barros reportedly questioned.
An Amazon virtual assistant plugged into the home’s landline interpreted the question as a command to call police, Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Felicia Romero told the New York Post.
An arrest warrant affidavit obtained by The Post indicates that 911 contacted the female moments later, prompting Barros to throw her to the floor after seeing emergency services on her phone’s caller ID.
A SWAT team was dispatched to the residence and eventually took Barros into custody following a stand-off with a crisis negotiation team.
The female sustained minor injuries but was not taken to a hospital. The female’s daughter, who was present during the incident, was unharmed.
Bernalillo County Sheriff Manuel Gonzales told ABC News that the situation could have ended much worse if not for the Amazon device.
“The unexpected use of this new technology to contact emergency services has possibly helped save a life,” the sheriff said. “This amazing technology definitely helped save a mother and her child from a very violent situation.”
Barros, a convicted felon, has been charged with multiple crimes, including possession of a firearm, aggravated battery, and false imprisonment.
While the case highlights an instance in which such technology can potentially be lifesaving, virtual assistants have raised concerns over their invasive nature. Just this week it was revealed that contractors were listening in on audio recordings gathered by Google’s virtual assistant. Amazon employees are doing the same for audio collected by the Echo device as well. Both companies argue that listening in on users is necessary to improve the accuracy of their respective devices.
ALEXA: Calling sheriffs.
I will be six feet underground before I allow one of those things into my home.
I can see them as mandatory in 30 years...
“This amazing technology definitely helped save a mother and her child from a very violent situation.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Mother having sense not to get involved with violent felons would be better.
Yep, me too.
Not paying to be spied on.
I didn’t even want a smart phone, but my son twisted my arm on that one.
I’ve seen it firsthand. They are not victims a lot of the time after the FIRST time.
They are enablers and it is SICKENING what they let be done to them and MORE sickening what they let be done to their children and let their children see.
...Both companies argue that listening in on users is necessary to improve the accuracy of their respective devices...
Wow.
Bigger question; is this person in our country legally, or is he a Jeb Bush lover?
Yep! Or, “...stop or I’ll have ALEXA CALL THE POLICE!....”
Could be helpful.
PING to what we were talking about just the day before yesterday
Sure would be nice if you fall and are unable to get up or you hear someone breaking in your home and while you get your weapon to tell Alexa to call the Sheriff.
It seems like ALEXA helped to escalate the situation.
The police called - in response to ALEXA, which infuriated the man, and caused him to become physically violent.
BTW, are they both legally in the country?
The most dangerous words that an American child can hear today:
"Mommy's new boyfriend"
A SWAT team was dispatched to the residence
This should be a requirement for ALL Police Officers to have their House Raided by a Swat Team annually unannounced.
Big Sister is watching.
I won one at a work thing. It’s sitting unopened in my basement.
Yeah, I never trust Alexa. Muted her in my bedroom, too creepy. It’s good as a quick-answer assistant and similar without having to look stuff up on the computer. I use one in the kitchen for music and help cooking sometimes for recipes.
"Meet Mommy's new boyfriend!"
A former female deputy sheriff, we knew, retired a couple of decades ago. She was often the lead officer in serious child abuse cases and unfortunately murder of a child.
Most of her bad cases involved men, who were not the fathers of the battered or worse kids.
It can still hear you.
Wow..hadn’t thought of that!!
I gave mine away...but now rethinking that...I live alone,just me and the pupster.
“I will be six feet underground before I allow one of those things into my home.”
Dittos.
So many idiots think it’s cool to have them, lol.
This coupled with 5G is going to be like living in an interrogation room. Big brother will be watching and listening to everything.
I hope they get a good shot of me in my skivvies, sitting in my recliner scratching the Lil Brother.
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