U.S. Coast Guard Denies Reports of Firing Shots on Potomac

The Coast Guard began patrolling the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. after security was increased in the wake of 9/11. Today reports emerged, some reporting that a U.S. Coast Guard vessel fired on a "suspicious boat," and others that shots were fired in a training exercise. Both reports have been denied.

Initially, it was reported that the Coast Guard tried to contact a recreational boat, after it crossed into restricted space on the Potomac river. There was no radio response, so the Coast Guard fired 10 shots, which were supposedly warning shots, in the direction of the boat.

According to the initial report, U.S. President Barack Obama's motorcade was just about the pass over the Potomac River bridge, as he traveled to a Sept. 11 memorial at the Pentagon, when the shots were fired at the recreational boat.

The next report came that the Coast Guard was performing a training exercise, and that shots were fired during that exercise. As I said, the Coast Guard has responded by saying that there was indeed a training exercise this morning, but that there were no shots fired.

The confusion, according to Coast Guard spokesman John Edwards, may be that references to shots fired were picked up in radio chatter. As part of the exercise Friday, the Coast Guard aired simulated instructions to participants to fire 10 rounds. However, no shots actually fired and there were no suspicious boats.

The Coast Guard runs training exercises daily on the Potomac. It is possible that heightened sensitivity to the anniversary of 9/11 led to confusion and panic over the exercise.