"They were right in calling us and letting us figure it out," Luna said.
The incident has drawn attention from technology ethics experts regarding the active surveillance practices used by autonomous ride-hailing services.
"I understand that it was the observation of the gun, but was it people outside the car who called Waymo … or was it something that set off the actual watching of the live video of the car?"
asked Irina Raicu, the internet ethics program director at Santa Clara University.
Local residents expressed support for the intervention due to the potential safety risks involved in the teenagers' behavior.
"I think that's dangerous," said San Mateo resident Gina Garces.
Garces noted that the company's real-time monitoring helped prevent further escalation on public roads.
"I like what the Waymo was doing and being protective," Garces said.
Waymo declined to provide individual comments regarding the specific event but referred to its active corporate safety guidelines.
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The company's policy statements note that interior support teams may access live video feeds during urgent trip circumstances to maintain safety and comply with legal requirements from law enforcement.
