Defense Department detains hotel guest in training mix-up
Apr 5, 2023, 3:18 PM | Updated: 3:42 pm
BOSTON (AP) — Participants in a Department of Defense training exercise at a Boston hotel entered the wrong room Tuesday and mistakenly detained a hotel guest instead of the person assigned the role of the person to be detained, according to the FBI.
The mistake happened about 10 p.m. with the Boston Division of the FBI helping the U.S. Department of Defense in conducting the Defense Department exercise.
The exercise was meant to simulate a situation that personnel might encounter during an actual incident.
“Based on inaccurate information, they were mistakenly sent to the wrong room and detained an individual, not the intended role player,” an FBI said in a written statement. “Thankfully nobody was injured.”
A call to the Department of Defense was not immediately returned.
The Boston Police Department was called and responded to the scene to confirm that the event was indeed a training exercise, officials said.
“Safety is always a priority of the FBI, and our law enforcement partners, and we take these incidents very seriously,” the FBI statement added. “The Boston Division is reviewing the incident with DOD for further action as deemed appropriate.”
A spokesman for Delta Air Lines said the airline was looking to see if anyone from the airline might have been mistakenly caught up in it.
“We are looking into reports of an alleged incident in Boston that may involve Delta people,” the spokesperson said in a written statement. “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.”
