Video: Thermal Imagery Helped FBI Monitor Boston Bombing Suspect
Authorities used thermal imagery from a police helicopter to monitor the second Boston Marathon bombing suspect while he hid under a boat tarp for more than an hour.
Authorities used thermal imagery from a police helicopter to monitor the second Boston Marathon bombing suspect while he hid under a boat tarp for more than an hour.
The FBI released the aerial video Saturday that was captured by a Massachusetts State Police helicopter, reports the New York Daily News . The airship's Star Safire III FLIR camera captured Dzhokhar Tsarnaev's final moments hiding in a boat before police arrested him Friday.
The FBI announced Monday that Tsarnaev will face federal charges of using a weapon of mass destruction against people and property.
The thermal imagery allowed authorities to monitor Tsarnaev's position in the boat, as officers surrounded the location. The footage picked up the suspect's heat signature, showing him as a white or black outline in various camera modes. The video also shows an armored rescue vehicle peeling off the boat's tarp, and three flash-bang devices going off in the location.
The Star Safire III, one of the most widely available FLIR systems available, captures images at 640x480. It's available with an optional color zoom camera, spotter scope, low-light camera, 25km laser rangefinder, pointer, and illuminator, reports Gizmodo .
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