Aerial helicopter footage has been released of state and local police’s criminal sweep in Brockton on Wednesday night, which resulted in 35 arrests between the departments, according to Massachusetts State Police.
Late in the afternoon on Aug. 9, law enforcement conducted “Operation Hot August Nights” in the city to find people they believed are responsible for violent crimes and narcotics dealing, along with people “negatively impacting quality of life for Brockton residents,” state police said.
The operation resulted in 35 arrests and involved several State Police units, including the Gang Unit and Violent Fugitive Apprehension Section, among others that teamed up with Brockton Police and Massachusetts Environmental Police officers on dirt bikes, police said.
Two State Police helicopters were also stationed over the city to track suspects if they tried to flee, police said.
There were 22 drivers arrested in the sweep, charged with motor vehicle violations, police said, including people arrested on dirt bikes and scooters. Those arrests also included one driver charged for the fourth time with operating under the influence and another charged with driving with a suspended license due to a prior OUI, police said.
Seven of those drivers arrested were on dirt bikes and scooters, police said, and were causing a public safety threat to other drivers and pedestrians on the road.
The helicopters helped police on the ground by tracking people on bikes and scooters, police said. They were instrumental in two arrests after police chases — one involving a driver fleeing from Brockton to Bridgewater with officers in pursuit, and the other with a man wanted for a parole violation, police said.
In both of those arrests, police officers were able to track suspects’ whereabouts with communication from the helicopters, police said, and both suspects ended up turning down dead-end roads and were caught.
Narcotics-related charges were also doled out to multiple people during the sweep, police said, including one arrest for fentanyl possession and three others for possession of a Class B drug, one of those with intent to distribute.
Nine people who were the subject of warrants were also arrested, including one with a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and another charged with armed robbery while masked, police said.
In total, “Operation Hot August Nights” resulted in 35 arrests, five criminal summonses and seven dirt bike and scooter seizures, police said.
