Two men were arrested after allegedly flying a drone “dangerously close to Logan International Airport,” according to Boston police.
Robert Duffy, 42, and Jeremy Folcik, 32, were arrested by members of the Boston Police Harbor Patrol Unit on Saturday around 10:22 p.m.
A third suspect fled the scene on a boat and was not arrested, police said.
Logan International Airport is bordered by Boston Harbor, as seen on July 29, 2020.
Boston Globe via Getty Images
Police began monitoring an unmanned aircraft system around 4:30 p.m., according to a statement released Sunday.
Using cutting-edge technology, officials were able to identify its exact location, altitude and flight history, among other data.
Based on this information, they recognized that the object posed a potential threat to Logan International airspace.
The Boston Police Department then coordinated with Homeland Security, Massachusetts State Police, the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Federal Communications Commission, and Boston Airport Air Traffic Control. Logan to remedy the situation.
Harbor Patrol Unit officers were dispatched to Long Island, part of the Boston Harbor Islands, in response to “a dangerous drone operation,” the police statement said.
Inside the decommissioned Long Island Health campus were three people who fled on foot as police approached, officials said.
The two suspects – Duffy and Folcik – were apprehended.
A drone was discovered in the backpack worn by Duffy, the release said.
Both suspects face trespassing charges, with fines or additional charges possible, according to Boston police.
They will be arraigned in Dorchester District Court on a date yet to be set.
Searches are underway to find the third suspect, who is believed to have fled the island aboard a small boat, police said.
