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Massive police response to report of man running around with rifle under the BU Bridge

By adamg on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 4:42pm

Large numbers of BPD officers descended on the Esplanade and the BU Bridge shortly after 4 p.m., when a 911 caller reported a man in camouflage running around near the bridge with a rifle. Cambridge Police sent some officers to their side of the bridge as well.

In fact, it turned out there was a whole troop of men running around the Esplanade with rifles - but they turned out to be BU ROTC cadets doing some training with fake rifles.

When officers caught up with them, they said they had notified BU's own police department and BPD, although that was news to the officers. Seems that's a common ROTC training area.

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Comments

By BostonUrbEx on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 4:48pm.

n/t

By Beagle on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 5:04pm.

Virginia Tech

By MatthewC on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 6:47pm.

Complete incompetence. The word was passed and some incompetent rock pile failed to do their job.

By anon on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 4:59pm.

The Army shouldn't be using public parks for training exercises.

By chaosjake on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 5:30pm.

trolololololol

By anon on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 7:02pm.

I know right? It isn't like the army ever used the Parade Ground on the Common for exercises up through World War I or anything and that ROTC has been practicing in public parks since its inception without incident until today.

By deselby on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 8:01pm.

Why shouldn't the Army use public parks for training? It would remind people of the military power that the USA rests on, or give pause to people who want more wars.

The upvotes on that comment come from the usual cowardly epicene snobs.

By brianjdamico on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 8:17pm.

They probably shouldn't go on PT runs on public streets and in public parks either, right?

By SwirlyGrrl on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 8:49pm.

You know, like the Minutemen?

It is a reservist drill. (the R in ROTC stands for RESERVE)

The National Guard uses public property for drills, too.

By JohnAKeith on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 6:26pm.

It's going to keep me up all night figuring out which side I find more annoying in this event.

By Boston_res on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 6:32pm.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Boston_bomb_scare

By brianjdamico on Thu, 03/20/2014 - 7:41pm.

Perfectly timed, Anime Boston is in town this weekend, Transit PD just had a report of a man carrying a sword on his back on a trolley at Copley, which prompted them to remember to advise officers of the convention, which will likely mean more than a few people in the area carrying fake weapons around.

By John_on_Central on Sun, 03/23/2014 - 10:02pm.

uhh this is not new. It should be common knowledge that ROTC does this. Does it warrant a couple officers to check it out after confirming with ROTC folks that they are indeed down there? Sure it does. Anything more than that, no not really needed...

By anon on Sun, 03/23/2014 - 10:49pm.

Remember those people out on the ice with boats? Navy ROTC.

Bugged the hell out of a dumb cop, but that drill has been going on for a very long time, too.