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Boston Police arrested two individuals on Saturday following a dangerous drone operation near Logan International Airport.
At approximately 10:22 PM, the Boston Police Harbor Patrol Unit apprehended 42-year-old Robert Duffy of Charlestown and 32-year-old Jeremy Folcik of Bridgewater, Massachusetts on Long Island in Boston Harbor, Boston Police announced in a press release.
Both men face trespassing charges, with additional fines or criminal penalties likely as the investigation continues.
A third suspect, believed to have escaped by a boat, remains at large as authorities intensify efforts to locate him.
The incident began earlier that evening at 4:30 PM when a vigilant Boston Police Officer specializing in real-time crime surveillance detected an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) dangerously encroaching on Logan Airport’s restricted airspace.
Utilizing advanced drone tracking systems, law enforcement pinpointed the drone’s flight path and the operators’ location within the decommissioned Long Island Health Campus.
More from the press release:
The Boston Police Department coordinated with Homeland Security, the Massachusetts State Police, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and Logan Airport Air Traffic Control to address the situation.
Members of the Boston Police Harbor Patrol Unit were dispatched to Long Island and located three individuals inside the decommissioned Long Island Health Campus. Upon attempting to make contact, the suspects fled on foot. Two of the three individuals were apprehended and identified as Duffy and Folcik. During the investigation, a drone was discovered inside a backpack carried by Duffy.
The two suspects were transported to District A-1 for booking. A continued search for the third suspect, believed to have fled the island in a small vessel, was conducted by officers and the Massachusetts State Police.
Duffy and Folcik are scheduled to be arraigned in Dorchester District Court on charges of trespassing. Further charges may be filed pending the outcome of the ongoing investigation.
The Boston Police Department reminds recreational drone operators of the importance of adhering to Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) safety guidelines. Operators are prohibited from flying drones over people or vehicles and must be aware of airspace restrictions. Even small drones pose significant risks, including the potential for catastrophic damage to airplanes and helicopters. Near-collisions can cause pilots to veer off course, putting lives and property at risk.
This incident comes amid a series of mysterious drone sightings across the country, with officials unable to determine their origin.
Since mid-November, large drones of uncertain origin have been repeatedly spotted in the sky at night over central and northern New Jersey, including near military installations.
Despite investigations, neither local nor federal authorities have identified the drones’ origins or purposes.
The White House declared on Monday that drones spotted over the northeastern United States are operating “legally and lawfully.”
“We assess that the sightings to date include a combination of lawful commercial drones, hobbyist drones and law enforcement drones, as well as manned fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters and even stars that were mistakenly reported as drones,” John Kirby told reporters.
“We have not identified anything anomalous or any national security or public safety risk over the civilian airspace in New Jersey or other states in the Northeast,” he added. “The work continues.”
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