Helicopter hovering 19 Ossipee spotlighting near Powderhouse

[squirrelitude]

Crosslinks: /r/boston

Helicopter was circling since at least 10:19.

The scanner is active, I may have heard something about a firearm.

10:24: Just heard police sirens

10:27: Helicopter is spotlighting towards DS.

10:30: Scanner: something something firearm something 55 Walker

10:34: "You want to go up to Mason St and check out that vehicle?" (shit, that's just down the road)

10:38: Sirens up briefly, helicoptor scanning from Broadway/Mason intersection to north/NE -- chase?

10:48: scanner: K9 units to Burnham to get a scent off a discarded jacket

10:53: Helicopter was definitely spotlighting the crest of Mason -- police sedan there as well

10:57: Heli scanning Broadway, circle CW north back to overhead, scanning Mason -> Powderhouse area

11:01: Spotlighting houses between Electric (?) and Ossipee

11:19: Helicopter not audible from my part of Ossipee

Comments

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

I just came here to ask about this! I'm a few houses down from you.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

You and I posted at once -- I will add the "dozen running police officers and spotlights searching backyards."

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

10:30pm: scanner mentions firearm in rear of 55 Walker.

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

We were wondering what it was too...my husband thought someone was snowblowimg or something at first lol. I feel like they have been hovering for awhile now!

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Apparently, whatever gun they were looking for was in my friend's yard on Burnham.

[derekp.livejournal.com]

I wasn't particularly worried about this while it was happening, but I'm wondering now if they found *all* of the guns. Going to check my yard to make sure my kids don't find any new toys come spring time...

[pukwudgie.livejournal.com]

Heard on scanner that 3 people were fleeing police in a car and "bailed out" near Leonard and Powderhouse. i guess that means they started running. They discarded a gun, it sounds like. Helicopter's searching our street still.

[mamabunny72.livejournal.com]

Goodness! I hope my kid stays asleep.

I can see the helicopter circling around from my home office window.

[stargazer.livejournal.com]

The vehicle they're talking about is just a car facing the wrong way on Mason. I think it's just as likely to be someone gawking as it is to be someone actually involved in… whatever this is.

Three suspects apprehended, BTW.

[squirrelitude]

I heard something about a "white male" in the area that someone had called in about -- I was wondering if that was me gawking! But if it's a car, I guess not.

I'm not getting much from the scanner. It's pretty intermittent, and things keep getting cut off, so I think my computer isn't completely compatible.

[stargazer.livejournal.com]

I'm listening on a real radio and it's sporadic that way too. That's just the way they work. They'll avoid saying anything they don't have to over the radio, to avoid revealing too much.

They just mentioned 33 Burnham.

[squirrelitude]

It's astonishing to me that they don't use encryption of some sort. Not that I'm complaining...

[ron_newman]

Any idea what the reference was to Waterhouse Street on the scanner?

[cupcakebetty.livejournal.com]

Pretty sure it was a separate call, about a medical emergency to the Clarendon Towers.

[stargazer.livejournal.com]

More and more public safety agencies do use an encrypted signal. It's not uncontroversial, though, because that means the receiver needs a consistently better signal to be able to do useful decryption. I've read about at least one situation where firefighters couldn't get a distress call out, apparently because the building they were working in blocked too much of their signal. So it's a trade-off of reliability for information security.

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

I wonder why they are still hovering in the area if the suspects have been apprehended.

[stargazer.livejournal.com]

They're looking for a fourth.

[jamiesquared.livejournal.com]

Ahh, ok. Thanks :)

[squirrelitude]

This gives 2 in custody, one being sought by K9.

[stargazer.livejournal.com]

reddit commenters consistently say four (http://www.reddit.com/r/boston/comments/165tv6/helicopter_over_davis_tufts/), and four would make sense since they've apprehended three and are still looking. But the situation's still developing, so who knows who's confused.

[kimberlogic.livejournal.com]

A bit unnerved reading all this and hearing the helicopter repeatedly overhead as we hear odd noises in our driveway.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Apparently the cops arrested at least one guy (the one with the gun in my buddy's yard).

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

Huh. There were flashing police vehicles stationed at 3 or 4, if not all, exits to the rotary when I came through it at 9:25 or 9:30pm - but this seems to have been much before all this copter activity got started...

[ron_newman]

Somerville Patch is monitoring this story:

http://somerville.patch.com/articles/reports-shots-fired-as-police-chase-alleged-car-thief

"Initial reports came in around 9:30 p.m. of a stolen vehicle chase in the area of Leonard Street and Somerville Police reporting that shots were fired, according to unconfirmed scanner reports."

[kalliejenn2.livejournal.com]

city of Somerville just posted: Police pursuit of a possibly armed suspect in W. Somerville Tufts/Powderhouse area is under way. If in the area, please stay inside.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

From the City of Somerville FB: "Police pursuit of a possibly armed suspect in W. Somerville Tufts/Powderhouse area is under way. If in the area, please stay inside."

[squirrelitude]

Man, how am I supposed to get my blurry helicopter videos if I stay inside?

[elusiveat.livejournal.com]

<3

[pekmez.livejournal.com]

Great, I'm inside and I've read this warning... but now that I'm in the area described, should I go to bed, or stay up to pounce on the phone so that a reverse 311 call from the Somerville Police won't wake my kids?

[teresaelsey.livejournal.com]

Here's the Patch article:
http://somerville.patch.com/articles/reports-shots-fired-as-police-chase-alleged-car-thief (http://somerville.patch.com/articles/reports-shots-fired-as-police-chase-alleged-car-thief)

[stargazer.livejournal.com]

The incident on Temple St is an assault that's probably unrelated.

[squirrelitude]

Yep, "that's what it sounds like, domestic" -- removing.

[gscoobs.livejournal.com]

Eastern MA State Police Scanner is also useful right now

http://www.radioreference.com/apps/audio/?action=wp&feedId=3969

I guess the dog doesn't go out before bed tonight?

[ron_newman]

I think I heard the police radio say that Somerville cops were withdrawing from the area and turning it over to state troopers. So (I hope) this means the night's excitement is now over.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

So one got away?

[squirrelitude]

Sounded like the state troopers were sticking around for half an hour more.

[schpahky.livejournal.com]

City of Somerville says all suspects have been apprehended, but State Police are sticking around for a bit.

[closetalker11.livejournal.com]

Gotcha -- thanks!!!

[miss-chance.livejournal.com]

11:54 All suspects apprehended. State Police to stay in the area for final sweep.
(from the Patch)

[ron_newman]

Somerville Patch now says that one of the suspects got away and is still at large.

And Boston.com says that the three suspects were released to the custody of probation officers " on conditions that they have no contact with witnesses in the incident and that they stay away from Gilman Street". Without bail? Until February 20? That makes me feel really safe...