Updated March 22
If you drove by Curtis Lane in Edgartown Thursday afternoon, you likely saw or heard what appeared to be a large police response to the area.
At about 1:30 pm, tactical team members on Curtis Lane in Edgartown were positioned behind police vehicles and an armored vehicle for training operations. Several tactical officers, dressed in dark colors, could be seen in body armor with long guns.
Oak Bluffs Police Lt. Tim Williamson, who heads the tactical team, told The Times a house that is slated for demolition was used to do monthly training for the team. The training scenario was a person barricaded in the house with a pistol.
Lt. Williamson said the tactical team practiced breaking the door, breaking windows for the deployment of gas, and other procedures.
The takeaway, he said, is it’s an acceptable loss to “break windows or break a door” if in the end the tactical team is able to “prevent people from harming themselves or others.”
Earlier Thursday, Edgartown sent out a text alert stating that police officers were conducting a training exercise between 12 noon and 4 pm. “Please do not be alarmed by the substantial police presence,” the alert stated.
The tactical team is made up of officers from several different Island departments, including the Sheriff’s Office. Dukes County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Heather Arpin confirmed some sheriff’s department officers were part of the training.
Lt. Williamson said tactical team members are obligated to undergo 16 hours of training monthly, and structures on deck for demolition are welcome places to help the team secure those training hours.
Updated with more details of the training.
