High School Student Handcuffed After Artificial Intelligence System Mistakes Bag Of Doritos For Deadly Weapon

A high school student in Baltimore was placed in handcuffs after an artificial intelligence system apparently mistook his bag of Doritos for a firearm.

According to WBAL-TV 11 News, Taki Allen was sitting with friends Monday night outside Kenwood High School when police officers showed up with guns and approached him.

“It was like eight cop cars that came pulling up for us. At first, I didn’t know where they were going until they started walking toward me with guns, talking about, ‘Get on the ground,’ and I was like, ‘What?’” Allen told the outlet.

Police told Allen an AI detector thought his bag of chips was a deadly weapon.

“They made me get on my knees, put my hands behind my back, and cuffed me. Then, they searched me and they figured out I had nothing,” Allen told the outlet.

“Then, they went over to where I was standing and found a bag of chips on the floor,” he added.

Allen said an officer showed him a picture from the AI detection system, saying the crumpled-up bag of Doritos resembled a gun.

#BREAKING: A 16-year-old student says he’s now terrified to go back to school after an AI system mistakenly sent more than 20 police officers after him after a gun detection software falsely flagged a Doritos bag as a firearm. leading armed officers to hold the student at… pic.twitter.com/VxFhXymFpY

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) October 23, 2025

More from WBAL-TV 11 News:

County police sent a statement Tuesday afternoon to WBAL-TV 11 News, saying: “On Monday evening, at approximately 7:20 p.m., officers assigned to Precinct 11-Essex responded to Kenwood High School following a report of a suspicious person with a weapon. Once on scene, the person was searched and it was determined the subject was not in possession of any weapons. I would refer you to BCPS regarding questions pertaining to Omnilert.”

Last year, Baltimore County high schools began using a gun detection system that employs AI to detect potential weapons by utilizing existing school cameras. The system can identify a possible weapon and send an alert to the school safety team and law enforcement.

“Nobody wants this to happen to their child. No one wants this to happen,” said Lamont Davis, Allen’s grandfather.

“Superintendent Dr. Myriam Rogers told reporters that the system worked how it was meant to,” WMAR 2 News Baltimore stated.

“The program is based on human verification and in this case the program did what it was supposed to do which was to signal an alert and for humans to take a look to find out if there was cause for concern in that moment,” Rogers said, according to the outlet.

Does this crumpled bag of chips look like a gun to you?@RebeccaPryorTV has the story of how an AI gun detection device made a mistake on Monday, leading a student be handcuffed outside his Baltimore County school.https://t.co/KdJaF2jx68 pic.twitter.com/va2EtEqmx4

— FOX Baltimore (@FOXBaltimore) October 22, 2025

WMAR 2 News Baltimore shared further info:

But Allen is skeptical.

“I don’t think no chip bag should be mistaken for a gun at all,” he said.

The school’s principal Kate Smith sent a letter to parents saying in part, “Please know that ensuring the safety of our students and school community is one of our highest priorities.”

But Allen said Smith didn’t come to speak to him until three days after the incident happened.

“I was expecting them to at least come up to me after the situation or the day after, but three days later that just shows like, do you really care or are you just doing it because the superintendent called me,” Allen said.

He told WMAR-2 News that the principal asked him how he was and to come to her if he needed anything.

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Now, he feels on edge at a place where he’s supposed to feel safe.

“Now, I feel like sometimes after practice I don’t go outside anymore. Cause if I go outside, I don’t want – don’t think I’m safe enough to go outside, especially eating a bag of chips or drinking something. I just stay inside until my ride comes,” said Allen.

He thinks the school should invest in more accurate technology so this doesn’t happen again.

Superintendent Rogers told us she’ll review the notification process and consider changes.

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