Two people were arrested for operating a “hazardous drone” near a Massachusetts airport like people New Jersey ask for answers to similar facts.
Robert Duffy, 42, of Charlestown, and Jeremy Folcik, 32, of Bridgewater, were arrested Saturday evening after flying an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) near Boston’s Logan Airport.
The incident began at 4.30pm ET when a real-time police officer crime surveillance found a UAS, which was smaller than the craft reported in New Jersey.
‘Using advanced UAS surveillance technology, the officer determined the aircraft’s location, altitude, flight history, and the pilot’s location on Long Island,’ which is located in Boston Harbor near the airport, the department added.
Officers were dispatched to the scene and found three people inside the Long Island Health Campus that had been evacuated, and found a drone inside a backpack carried by Duffy.
However, one of the men escaped the scene using a ‘small boat’ on the island in Boston Harbor.
Duffy and Folcik are here accused of wrongdoingbut they could face more charges and fines while the investigation is ongoing, the department said.
Their arrest comes as Uncertainty about drones has risen in the Northeastwhich have been seen on battlefields and airports in recent weeks.
Two men were arrested in Massachusetts late Saturday night for flying a drone ‘dangerously close’ to Boston’s Logan International Airport.
There is no evidence that Duffy and Folcik are being held in the major states that are harassing airlines such as New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.
However, a An airport in Orange County, New York was forced to close Friday night because of a drone in its airspace.
Drone sightings began in mid-November when drones were spotted above the US Army’s Picatinny Arsenal by the President-elect. Donald TrumpGolf courses in Bedminster – all in New Jersey.
In the following weeks, similar drones were reported across the state and spread to other states in the region.
The FBI is investigating the mystery, but so far, the government says there is nothing suspicious about the incident.
Law enforcement agencies have also helped investigate the latest plane crash at Logan International Airport because of “dangers caused by the proximity of Logan Airport,” Boston police said.
These agencies include the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and the Federal Communications Commission, which will work closely with the Massachusetts State Police and Logan Airport Air Traffic Control.
Although the drone allegedly piloted by Duffy and Folcik is much smaller than the one that caused terror in the Northeast, it still posed a serious threat to Logan Airport.
‘Even small drones pose significant risks, including the potential to cause serious damage to aircraft and helicopters. A close collision can cause pilots to abandon their course, putting lives and property at risk,” Boston police said.
Their arrests come as mysterious drones have been spotted in the northeast, prompting residents of the state and local communities to demand answers.
There is no evidence that Duffy and Folcik are connected to the large drones that are said to be plaguing states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York.
“The Boston Police Department reminds hobbyists of the importance of following the Federal Aviation Administration’s safety guidelines.
‘Employees are prohibited from flying drones over people or vehicles and must be aware of flight restrictions.’
This is not the first drone-related arrest since the introduction of large foreign drones seen in New Jersey.
Yinpiao Zhou, 39, from China now lives in Brentwood, Californiawas arrested for flying a small plane at Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County on November 30.
After an investigation, the police discovered that his drone had taken pictures of the structure of the base.
Zhou, who recently entered the United States from China on November 26, was charged with failing to register an airline that did not provide transportation and violating national security.
The arrests add to growing concerns over the ability of foreign and domestic agencies to enter critical US airspace and conduct surveillance, and/or pose security threats.
Both the Pentagon and the White House told the public that there was no evidence he suggests that the large drones he sees in the northeast are connected to foreign surveillance, or that they threaten national security or public safety..
But residents and officials from the affected states aren’t buying it, and want the federal government to make it more transparent.
New Jersey Representative Cory Booker He warned that the lack of answers could help spread fear and lies.
‘We need to know what is happening in our skies,’ he said on Thursday.
Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal added his voice to those calling for the drones to be shot down.
“We need to scan them very quickly and get them out of the sky, especially if they’re flying over airports or military bases,” Blumenthal said Thursday, as concerns about drones spread on Capitol Hill.
He said people in the New York area are also concerned that drones may be sharing airspace with commercial airlines and want the Biden administration to make this public.
