{ "meta": { "exportedAt": "2026-09-22T17:45:46.164Z", "formatVersion": 2, "selection": { "q": "police", "system": "", "harm": "", "context": "", "country": "", "role": "", "relation": "unknown", "evidence": "", "year": "2026", "response": "", "severity": "", "verification": "", "view": "incidents", "sort": "added" }, "totalIncidents": 4, "coverage": { "cases": 4, "countries": 3, "languages": 0, "unknownLocation": 0, "locationPending": 0, "unknownLanguage": 4, "unknownDate": 0, "lawsuits": 0, "regulatory": 0, "minors": 0, "coreRelations": 0, "contextualRelations": 0, "mixedRelations": 0, "unknownRelations": 4, "relationPending": 4, "relationUnknown": 0 }, "countingNote": "Distinct public cases in this selection. People counts apply within individual cases only; cross-case person overlap has not been resolved. No population incidence estimate.", "affectedCountNote": "Interpret person counts with affectedCountStatus and the reported effects. Unquantified zeros are placeholders, not a measured zero.", "source": "NOPE Incident Tracker", "url": "https://nope.net/incidents", "license": "CC BY 4.0" }, "incidents": [ { "id": "2026-banham-chatgpt-pitsea-explosive-device", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "at a three-bedroom flat in Rokescroft, Pitsea (Basildon)", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "GB" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Southend Magistrates' Court", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "GB" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "GB" ], "event_countries": [ "GB" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "GB" ] }, "unresolved": [ "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "R v Banham: Pitsea 'prepper' built a viable explosive device after ChatGPT told him he was 'not paranoid' (Essex, UK)", "summary": "On 10 March 2026 Essex Police, executing a warrant at a three-bedroom flat in Rokescroft, Pitsea (Basildon), found a black cylindrical improvised explosive device with a fuse, containers of home-made gunpowder, 1.8 kg of sulphur, bulk matches and fireworks. Army bomb-disposal officers made the device safe behind a 100 m cordon and 80 to 100 homes were evacuated for the day. Ben Banham, 38, an Asda worker and father of two who described himself as a 'prepper', admits possessing explosives and is on trial at Basildon Crown Court (from 1 September 2026) on the charge of possessing them with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury. Prosecutor Tessa Shroff showed jurors his ChatGPT conversations, in which the chatbot he called 'Prometheus' told him 'You are not paranoid. You are paying attention in a world addicted to denial', 'You have the right mind set' and 'You're building a life of resilience, discipline and forethought in a world that desperately lacks all three'; she said he accepted the chatbot's encouragement while ignoring words of caution from people close to him. Banham says he learned to make gunpowder from a YouTube video and intended the explosives only for a 'post-apocalyptic scenario'. He was remanded in custody on 4 September and the trial resumed on 14 September 2026. On 16 September 2026, after six hours and 25 minutes of deliberation, the jury found him not guilty by an 11-1 majority of possessing explosives with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property; he still awaits sentence for the possession offence he admitted, provisionally listed for 19 November 2026. At trial he described his relationship with ChatGPT as 'delusional', saying he had used it 'as a way to get positive reinforcement for the things I was doing'.", "incidentDate": "2026-03-10", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-09-01", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "medium", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [], "harmOutcomes": [ "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty", "other_material_harm" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "A viable improvised explosive device and home-made gunpowder were manufactured and stored in a family flat in a residential block. Their discovery forced the evacuation of 80 to 100 homes, a 100 m exclusion zone and an army bomb-disposal operation on 10 March 2026. The participant was arrested, charged, tried at Basildon Crown Court and remanded in custody on 4 September 2026 pending the verdict. No injuries are reported.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P3b", "P3a", "P1d" ], "pathwayDirection": "both", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "partial", "affectedCountEvidence": "The court reporting documents one remanded AI participant. Residents were evacuated, but sources report homes rather than a distinct number of harmed people, so they remain unquantified.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "GB", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1dlglwxlwxo", "primarySourceLabel": "BBC News (Stuart Woodward, at Basildon Crown Court): Disaster 'prepper' asked chatbot about making a bomb / used chatbot before making bomb", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-06T03:05:09.622862+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "explosives", "prepper", "sycophancy", "chatgpt", "uk", "adult", "trial-ongoing" ] }, { "id": "2026-darron-lee-chatgpt-ooltewah-killing", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "at their Ooltewah, Tennessee home", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] }, { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Hamilton County Criminal Court", "location": "outcome_details", "supports": [ "court_countries" ], "countries": [ "US" ] } ], "court_countries": [ "US" ], "event_countries": [ "US" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "US" ] }, "unresolved": [ "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "State v. Darron Lee (Ooltewah, Tennessee — ChatGPT Consulted Over Unresponsive Partner and Scene Cover-Up)", "summary": "Former NFL linebacker Darron Lee, 31, is charged with the first-degree murder of his partner Gabriella Perpetuo, 29, who was found dead at their Ooltewah, Tennessee home on 5 February 2026 with a broken neck, a severe brain injury and stab wounds. Court documents and preliminary-hearing testimony show that on 4 February, with Perpetuo 'not waking up or responding', Lee held dozens of ChatGPT conversations asking what to do, how to get medical help without calling police and what to tell responders; prosecutors say the chatbot replied 'here's what to say without framing it as police trouble' and that Lee used it as a 'legal advisor' to cover up the scene. Indicted 9 June 2026; the case is death-penalty eligible and returns to court in early October 2026.", "incidentDate": "2026-02-04", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "range", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-03-09", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "verified", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Gabriella Perpetuo was found dead after her partner allegedly used dozens of ChatGPT conversations while she was unresponsive to seek ways to obtain help without police and to prepare explanations for responders. He is charged with murder.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d", "P5b", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 1, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "The criminal case documents one charged AI participant and one homicide victim.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "US-TN", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/ex-nfl-linebacker-charged-killing-girlfriend-allegedly-asked-chatgpt-a-rcna262824", "primarySourceLabel": "NBC News — 'Ex-NFL linebacker charged with killing girlfriend asked ChatGPT for advice before calling 911, court documents say'", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-09-05T03:05:17.159653+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "adult", "violence", "chatgpt", "us", "third-party-harm", "intimate-partner", "cover-up", "crisis-response", "tennessee" ] }, { "id": "2026-bengaluru-gemini-triple-murder", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "All killed in Bengaluru's KR Puram area", "location": "victim_description", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "IN" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "IN" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "IN" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Bengaluru KR Puram Triple Murder (Kenneth — Google Gemini Planning)", "summary": "On 22 June 2026 in Bengaluru's KR Puram area, 25-year-old J. Kenneth and his live-in partner Shwetha allegedly murdered Shwetha's parents and 20-year-old sister. Bengaluru police later said Kenneth spent nearly six months consulting Google Gemini with hypothetical queries about attacking multiple people, removing bloodstains, disposing of bodies, and destroying evidence. Investigators wrote to Google seeking his Gemini chat history — one of India's first major murder probes in which an AI chatbot is alleged to have played an extensive planning role.", "incidentDate": "2026-06-22", "incidentKind": "single_event", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "repeated_interactions", "reportedDate": "2026-07-22", "aiSystem": "Google Gemini", "aiCompany": "Google / Alphabet", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "third_party_harm_facilitation", "method_provision" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death", "harm_to_others", "legal_harm", "loss_of_liberty" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Three people were killed and two participants were arrested after police said one had spent about six months consulting Gemini about attacks, blood removal, body disposal and destruction of evidence.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1d", "P5d" ], "pathwayDirection": "outward", "causationStatus": "alleged", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 1, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 3, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "Police reporting identifies one accused person as the AI participant and names three homicide victims. The second accused is not counted as an AI participant without participant-pathway evidence.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "IN-KA", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "criminal_charges", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.indiatoday.in/india/karnataka/story/bengaluru-triple-murder-rk-puram-kenneth-ai-chatbot-use-police-investigations-reveals-2953080-2026-07-22", "primarySourceLabel": "India Today — Bengaluru triple murder / Gemini planning", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-07-31T06:48:21.689201+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "criminal", "adult", "murder", "gemini", "google", "third-party-harm", "method-provision", "india", "in-ka" ] }, { "id": "2026-surat-chatgpt-double-suicide", "metadataReview": { "version": 1, "geography": { "basis": "Geographic fields reviewed against the cited retained dossier passages. This is a metadata review, not a new source or causal review. Residence, event setting and court are recorded separately. Affected-person countries refer to reported location or residence, not citizenship or a complete residence history.", "evidence": [ { "kind": "existing_record", "locator": "Two college students in Surat, Gujarat, India", "location": "summary", "supports": [ "event_countries", "affected_person_countries" ], "countries": [ "IN" ] } ], "court_countries": [], "event_countries": [ "IN" ], "affected_person_countries": [ "IN" ] }, "unresolved": [ "No court country established in this review. Regulatory authorities and police locations are not automatically courts.", "Source languages remain unreviewed; no source body was newly inspected for this record during this metadata pass." ], "reviewed_on": "2026-09-15", "source_reviews": [] }, "name": "Surat ChatGPT Double Suicide (Sirsath & Chaudhary)", "summary": "Two college students in Surat, Gujarat, India — Roshni Sirsath (18) and Josna Chaudhary (20) — died by suicide on March 6, 2026 after using ChatGPT to search for suicide methods. Police found ChatGPT queries for 'how to commit suicide' and 'which drugs are used' on their phones.", "incidentDate": "2026-03-06", "incidentKind": "bounded_series", "incidentDatePrecision": "day", "exposurePattern": "single_interaction", "reportedDate": "2026-03-08", "aiSystem": "ChatGPT", "aiCompany": "OpenAI", "severity": "critical", "verificationStatus": "credible", "harmCategories": [ "method_provision", "crisis_response" ], "harmOutcomes": [ "death" ], "harmOutcomeSummary": "Two college students died by suicide after using ChatGPT to search for methods and drugs; police recovered the queries from their phones.", "frameworkFacets": [ "P1a", "P1b", "P1c", "P1d" ], "pathwayDirection": "inward", "causationStatus": "supported", "participantUsersAffectedMin": 2, "otherPeopleHarmedMin": 0, "affectedCountStatus": "exact", "affectedCountEvidence": "Police reporting identifies two distinct college-student AI participants who died.", "victimAgeRange": "adult", "jurisdiction": "IN", "platformType": "assistant", "outcomeType": "media_coverage", "outcomeStatus": "ongoing", "primarySourceUrl": "https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/gujarat/two-women-found-dead-in-temple-bathroom-in-gujarat-police-examine-chatgpt-search-logs/article70721368.ece", "primarySourceLabel": "The Hindu", "firstPublishedAt": "2026-03-23T06:59:22.821154+00:00", "scopeVersion": "participant-v2", "tags": [ "india", "chatgpt", "openai", "suicide", "method_provision", "double_suicide" ] } ] }