A Baltimore County high school student says he was surrounded by police and handcuffed — all because an AI security system mistook his bag of Doritos for a weapon.
The incident has sparked outrage and renewed debate about the reliability of artificial intelligence in schools after 17-year-old Taki Allen was detained outside Kenwood High School earlier this week.
“They Pulled Up With Guns”
Allen told WBAL-TV that he was sitting with friends after football practice Monday night, eating a bag of chips. Roughly 20 minutes later, he looked up to see eight police cars pulling into the parking lot — officers stepping out with guns drawn.
“They started walking toward me with guns, talking about, ‘Get on the ground,’ and I was like, ‘What?’” Allen recalled.
Officers then cuffed him, searched his pockets, and realized there was no weapon — just a crumpled Doritos bag he had stuffed into his shorts after finishing his snack.
“AI Thought It Was a Gun”
Police later showed Allen the image that triggered the school’s AI gun detection system, called Omnilert. The photo reportedly showed him holding the bag of chips with two hands, one finger extended — which the software flagged as a potential firearm.
“I was just holding a Doritos bag,” Allen said. “They said it looked like a gun.”
The School Responds
Baltimore County Public Schools confirmed that the alert originated from its AI surveillance program, which automatically scans camera footage for potential weapons.
This Sept. 26, 2014 photo shows Nacho Cheese flavored Doritos in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke) (Matt Rourke/The Associated Press)
In a letter to parents, the Kenwood High School principal acknowledged the “upsetting” nature of the false alarm and said the Department of School Safety and Security canceled the alert once human staff confirmed there was no threat.
“Police officers responded to the school, searched the individual, and quickly confirmed that they were not in possession of any weapons,” the principal wrote. “We understand how upsetting this was for the individual that was searched and for other students who witnessed it.”
The school said counselors are being made available to any student affected by the incident.
A Family’s Outrage
Allen’s grandfather, Lamont Davis, said the ordeal has shaken their trust in the school’s AI system.
“Nobody wants this to happen to their child,” Davis said. “No one wants this to happen.”
When AI Gets It Wrong
Baltimore County implemented the Omnilert gun detection system in 2023, becoming one of several U.S. school districts to adopt AI-powered safety technology.
But incidents like this raise serious concerns about accuracy, racial bias, and over-policing of students based on algorithmic errors.
Experts warn that while AI can help detect threats faster, false positives can lead to traumatizing encounters — especially for students of color.
For Allen, the moment still doesn’t feel real.
“I was just holding a Doritos bag,” he repeated. “Now, every time I eat chips, I’m going to think about it.”
