Pilot mistakenly detained and interrogated when military training goes awry, FBI says
A pilot was mistakenly detained by federal agents during a botched military training exercise in Massachusetts, officials said.
The Department of Defense was conducting a late-night exercise at a Boston hotel with the assistance of the FBI on April 4 when things went awry, Kristen Setera, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Boston division, told McClatchy News.
“Based on inaccurate information, they were mistakenly sent to the wrong room and detained an individual, not the intended role player,” Setera said in an emailed statement.
The individual in the hotel room, an airline pilot who had been sleeping, woke up to banging on the door, according to WBZ. When he opened it, agents handcuffed him and subjected him to interrogation for almost an hour.
As part of a mock investigation, agents put the pilot, a man in his 30s, in the room’s shower, the outlet reported. After about 45 minutes, they recognized their mistake.
“Thankfully nobody was injured,” Setera said.
The Boston Police Department was called to the scene and confirmed the existence of a military training exercise, Setera said.
The man is employed by Delta Airlines, according to WHDH.
“We are looking into reports of an alleged incident in Boston that may involve Delta people,” a spokesperson for Delta told the Boston Herald. “We have nothing further to share at this time other than to reaffirm our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of our people.”
McClatchy News reached out to the Department of Defense for comment and is awaiting a response.
“Safety is always a priority of the FBI, and our law enforcement partners, and we take these incidents very seriously,” Setera said. “The Boston Division is reviewing the incident with DOD for further action as deemed appropriate.”
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