There's a new RoboCop in town. A police bomb squad robot singlehandedly incapacitated and pinned down an armed suspect in a Texas showdown.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice said there was a warrant out for the arrest of 39-year-old Felix Delarosa because he violated his parole by tampering with his electronic monitoring device, KCBD reported.
The robot approached the broken window, and the suspect shot his gun at the robot. The bomb squad robot countered by spraying tear gas into the room.
Around 10 a.m. Wednesday, Texas Anti-Gang unit members tracked down Delarosa at a Days Inn hotel in Lubbock. Delarosa — who was armed at the time — reportedly fired a shot at officers from inside his room when they went to approach him.
The officers called the Lubbock County Sheriff’s SWAT team to assist with apprehending the suspect.
Officials said Delarosa fired another shot while SWAT negotiators attempted to convince him to peacefully surrender. During the negotiations, Delarosa — who was barricaded in his hotel room — allegedly fired more shots at officers.
A sheriff’s office sniper returned fire and allegedly struck Delarosa.
By this time in the standoff, the room's large glass window had been shattered amid the exchange of gunfire.
Robot to the rescue
The Lubbock Regional Bomb Squad deployed a robot to deal with the suspect without putting the lives of law enforcement in jeopardy. The bomb squad robot rolled up to Delarosa's hotel room. The suspect first attempted to debilitate the robot by throwing a bed sheet on it, which was not effective.
The robot approached the broken window, and the suspect shot his gun at the robot. The bomb squad robot countered by spraying tear gas into the room.
The suspect is seen on video desperately crawling out of the room and appears to be extremely disoriented from the tear gas.
While Delarosa was wriggling on the ground, the robot drove on top of him.
Then, while pinning him to the ground, the wheels of the robot pulled down the suspect's pants.
SWAT team members swooped in to take Delarosa into custody two hours after the showdown began.
Delarosa was transported to University Medical Center for his injuries and then booked into the Lubbock County Detention Center.
Delarosa was charged with aggravated assault against a public servant.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice noted that Delarosa was sentenced to 20 years in prison for manufacturing and delivering a controlled substance in 2017.
Delarosa was released from prison and placed on parole in April 2022.
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