A Boston man is accused of pulling a fire alarm at the hotel where NFL team Pittsburgh Steelers were staying, just hours before the team’s scheduled AFC championship game against the New England Patriots.
Boston.com reports that the Massachusetts State Police confirmed that around 3:40 a.m. on Sunday, fire officials and police responded to a fire alarm at the Logan Airport Hilton hotel in Boston. After determining it was a false alarm, an investigation led to the arrest of Dennis Harrison, 25, of East Boston.
Alarms were going off for about 30 minutes until everyone got the clear to go back to their rooms. Fire trucks and police leaving Hotel pic.twitter.com/jIvrrKkIPZ
— Rich Walsh KDKA (@RichieWalsh) January 22, 2017
According to a state police press release, Harrison, spotted on surveillance video, wasn’t a guest at the hotel and didn’t have a legitimate reason to be there. He’s accused of walking to a stairwell near an exit at the hotel, pulling the fire alarm, then fleeing into a car outside, with two other men waiting inside the vehicle. Police quickly caught up with Harrison and detained him. He was released from jail on Sunday after paying a $100 cash bond. He took to Twitter once released from jail, admitting to the incident.
Fire alarm guy bailed out of jail
Promptly tweets it was him
Will be at the game tonight (!)
Deletes tweets pic.twitter.com/5CVwSjDJMn— Center Field Smoke (@CFSmoke) January 22, 2017
On Sunday, former offensive guard for the Steelers, Alan Faneca, said that this sort of thing happened to him each time he played a game in the New England.
“Never played a game in NE where that did not happen. Every single time…. From the top to the bottom of the [Jets] organization, you felt there was something different [when you faced the Patriots]. Those rumors have always swirled around New England.”
Seven hours later, another fire alarm went off, this time at the Gillette Stadium, where the AFC championship game takes place between the Steelers and the New England Patriot. Media was quickly ushered out of the stadium, but again, it turned out to be a false alarm.
Media being evacuated from Gillette Stadium for fire alarm. No not kidding pic.twitter.com/pNT72pEXPY
— Dana Jacobson (@danajacobson) January 22, 2017
Regardless, the Steelers are said to be ready for tonight’s game. Kick-off begins at 6:40 p.m. EST.
[Feature Photo: AP/Keith Srakocic]