Man who tried to take over self-driving taxi detained in downtown Los Angeles, police say

The concept behind self-driving Waymo taxis may be a little confusing, but one thing is clear: You don’t need to be behind the wheel.

That’s what police said a man learned when he was detained Thursday morning in downtown Los Angeles for allegedly trying to get away in a Waymo car.

Officer Drake Madison of the Los Angeles Police Department said officers received a report of an attempted car theft near the intersection of 5th and Hill streets at 12:26 a.m. Police said the unidentified man entered the car from the passenger seat and then got into the driver’s seat.

Video from OC Hawk shows a bearded man sitting in a stopped self-driving car, sticking his head out to talk to police. Police said the suspect appeared to be under the influence.

The man refused to get out of his car when approached by police behind riot shields. At least one weapon was drawn. Video of the incident, which was first reported by news station KTLA, shows a large beverage can on top of the vehicle, but it’s unclear if it belongs to the man or if he is the person who called Waymo service.

It was unclear whether the man was arrested.