FBI questions air pilot at fault at Revere Hotel – NECN

Federal authorities are providing new details after a person was mistakenly detained during a federal training exercise in a Boston hotel Tuesday night as the participants went to the wrong room, according to the FBI.

Sources told investigators from sister network NBC10 Boston that the person in custody was an airline pilot staying at the hotel. They said the pilot was handcuffed and interrogated. The training took place at the River Hotel and was part of the Department of Defense’s efforts. The Boston Division of the FBI has been helping.

The coaching staff enters the wrong room.

A statement from the US Army Special Operations Command told the Associated Press that the training is intended to “enhance soldiers’ abilities to operate in realistic and unfamiliar environments,” adding that the training team mistakenly entered the hotel room and stopped a non-participant. with exercise.

“Boston police responded to the scene and confirmed that this was indeed a drill,” Lt. Col. Mike Burns said in a statement to the Associated Press. “The safety of civilians in our training vicinity is always our primary concern. We are reviewing this serious incident with our partners and no further details will be released at this time.”

The Department of Defense said, in a statement to NBC10 Boston, that it routinely conducts exercises with law enforcement agencies, citing requests for additional information to the US Army Special Operations Command.

Security has always been a priority for the FBI.

The FBI’s statement on the incident, part of a Defense Department training exercise, on Wednesday, provided no information about who was arrested other than that it was not the intended person or for how long. An FBI representative said no one was hurt and Boston police were called to confirm it was a drill.

“Security has always been a priority for the FBI and our law enforcement partners, and we take these incidents very seriously,” the FBI statement said. The Boston Division is reviewing the incident with the Department of Defense for further action as appropriate.

Sources said two of the Delta pilots were staying in the 15th-floor room at the River Hotel that officers entered after calling in, and that at least one of them was handcuffed in the bathroom.

NBC 10 Boston contacted the arrested pilot; A Delta representative said the airline was investigating reports of an incident that may have involved its employees.