A Department of Defense (DOD) training exercise at a Boston hotel went awry Tuesday when participants detained an innocent guest in the wrong room, according to federal officials.
The incident occurred around 10 p.m. and involved the Boston Division of the FBI, which was assisting the DOD in conducting the exercise aimed to simulate a realistic scenario that personnel might encounter during an actual incident.
According to the FBI, the mistake was made due to “inaccurate information” that resulted in the training team being sent to the wrong room, where they “detained an individual” who was not the intended role player.
“Thankfully, nobody was injured,” read the statement obtained by WBZ News.
The Epoch Times contacted the Revere Hotel and Boston PD for confirmation.
Lt. Col. Mike Burns of the U.S. Army Special Operations Command described the incident as unfortunate and said local police confirmed that it was a training exercise mistake.
“The Boston Police Department responded to the scene and confirmed that this was indeed a training exercise,” he said. “The safety of civilians in vicinity of our training is always our number one concern.”
The FBI and its law enforcement partners have also emphasized their commitment to safety and are reviewing the incident with the Department of Defense for further action as deemed appropriate.
The DOD has issued an apology to the person who was mistakenly detained, with Burns stating that the training exercise was meant to enhance soldiers’ skills in operating in unfamiliar and realistic environments.
Delta Air Lines released a statement about the incident after reports emerged that the person detained was a pilot employed by the airline.
“We are looking into reports of an alleged incident in Boston that may involve Delta people. 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,” Delta said.
No further details have been released at this time.
