As East Coast investigations into objects in the sky continue, two men were arrested in Boston over the weekend for operating a drone dangerously near Logan International Airport.
Following a dangerous drone operation close to Logan Airport’s airspace, Boston police reported that Robert Duffy, 42, of Charlestown, and Jeremy Folcik, 32, of Bridgewater, were apprehended and placed under arrest on Long Island, which is a part of the Boston Harbor Islands, on Saturday evening.
They were both accused of trespassing. According to authorities, a Boston police officer who specializes in crime surveillance found the drone and identified the location of an unmanned aircraft system that was operating close to the airport.
Three individuals escaped on foot when police arrived, and Duffy and Folcik were taken into custody. According to authorities, a drone was discovered in Duffy’s rucksack. The third suspect was still being sought. Whether the suspects have hired lawyers is unknown.
Even little drones provide “significant” threats, according to Boston police, including “the potential for catastrophic damage to airplanes and helicopters.” Pilots may divert off course due to near-collisions, endangering people and property.
The arrests follow nationwide reports of drone sightings, which in some cases forced airport closures and prompted the FAA and politicians to demand greater control.
Over the weekend, vital Air Force base airspace was closed due to drone activities.
Drones were seen flying above and close to the Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio on Friday, prompting a four-hour shutdown. According to Dayton’s NBC station WDTN, the closure was lifted early on Saturday. According to an 88th Air Base Wing spokesperson, the unmanned, tiny drones did not interfere with base operations.
According to Governor Kathy Hochul, drone activities in the airspace caused the runways at New York Stewart International Airport in Orange County to close for approximately an hour on Friday night.
government partners were deploying a drone detection system, she added, and she appealed for government help. However, she and other MPs believe that drone use has to be further regulated.
Although I appreciate the support, more is required. She stated on XSunday that Congress has to enact legislation that will allow us to deal with drones directly.
Following several drone sightings in the Northeast, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., on Sunday asked the Department of Homeland Security to send a drone detection system to New York and New Jersey.
Despite the number of sightings, Schumer told reporters, “it’s remarkable that we have more questions than answers.”
He also advocated for legislation that would allow local and state law enforcement to detect unmanned aerial systems using software.
On X, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy reported that he had met with radar technicians and the state police on Sunday night, who are searching the region for unmanned aerial vehicles.
“We will continue to push the federal government for more information and resources because the public deserves clear answers,” he said.
The sightings are being looked into by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. According to the agencies’ statement on Thursday, there is no proof that the sightings are related to other countries or represent a threat to public safety or national security.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas confirmed the latest drone sightings on ABC’s This Week with George Stephanopoulos Sunday, stating that managed aircraft were sometimes mistaken for drones.
In the United States, thousands of drones—both commercial and recreational—are flown daily. That’s the truth. And in September of 2023 the Federal Aviation Administration, the FAA, changed the rules so that drones could fly at night, and that may be one of the reasons why now people are seeing more drones than they did before, especially from dawn to dusk. And so that is the reality, but I want to assure the American public that we are on it, Mayorkas said.
We know of no foreign involvement with respect to the sightings in the Northeast. And we are vigilant in investigating this matter, he added.
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