Owens said that officers immediately switched over to an alternate channel for communications, according to department protocol.
“Preliminary information I got, we’re working with Motorola to determine exactly what transpired, but that lapse that you’re referring to, it was very short,” Owens said. “They immediately switched over to another channel, and it was quickly resolved.”
Asked if communication among officers was compromised, Owens said, “Not for a very long time, no, absolutely not.”
He said communication was likely affected only for seconds and did not hinder officers’ ability to respond to the shootings.
“Absolutely not,” he said.
Flynn and Murphy, however, wrote that the “department’s main radio channel failed for nearly 30 minutes, forcing officers to respond to an active shooting without reliable communication tools.”
An investigation is warranted re: @bostonpolice primary radio channel failed for 30 minutes. This is dangerous and unacceptable.
Our police officers should never be placed in a dangerous position where they respond to active shootings without reliable communication tools. pic.twitter.com/xaK3fNZDdC— Ed Flynn 愛德華費連 (@EdforBoston) August 18, 2025
The councilors said they’re “deeply concerned” about the system failure.
Asked about the councilors’ assertion that communications were down for roughly half an hour, Owens said, “I can’t speak to that; I wasn’t there that night. But I was told that per our normal protocol, we immediately went over to another channel.”
The councilors said they want a thorough probe of the incident.
“We respectfully request that the Boston Police Department conduct a full investigation into what caused the radio system breakdown, how it affected the response, and the steps being taken to ensure this does not happen again,” the councilors wrote.
The findings should be released publicly, they added.
“Boston officers deserve the tools and support they need to protect our neighborhoods, and our residents deserve the assurance that public safety systems will not fail in moments of crisis,” the councilors wrote.
The violence began shortly before 1 a.m. Monday, when officers were trying to break up a group of people feuding on Ellington Street, police said.
Police saw two people walking away from an unmarked cruiser while looking over their shoulders before they started running away, police said.
One of them, a 17-year-old, was allegedly carrying a 9mm pistol loaded with 11 bullets, police said. Officers arrested the boy, who now faces multiple gun charges as a juvenile, police said.
Around this time, different officers also responded to Ellington Street to investigate a reported shooting, police said.
According to EMS transmissions posted on Broadcastify, a man was shot in both legs. Medical crews were treating the man when police arrived. His injuries were not considered life-threatening.
About 25 minutes after the Ellington Street shooting, police went to the intersection of Dorchester and Talbot avenues to investigate a car crash, police said.
Inside the car, officers found a loaded gun stashed in the “rear passenger seat pouch,” police said in a statement.
One person in the vehicle was charged with gun-related offenses, police said, the second gun arrest during the three hours.
Around 2:50 a.m., officers went to Kingsdale Street in Dorchester, where another man was found shot. His wounds were not considered life-threatening, police said.
“A preliminary investigation determined the incident occurred inside the nearby baseball field located [near 116] Talbot Avenue,“ police said.
Two minutes later, officers on patrol near Dorchester and Melville avenues tried to stop two people on a dirt bike who were suspected of being involved in the baseball field shooting, police said.
“The suspects, operating a dirt bike, failed to stop, causing a crash that led to a foot chase,” police said. “During the pursuit, officers located the adult male passenger of the dirt bike hiding under a vehicle at 2 Barry Park.”
The man had been shot and was taken to a hospital with a wound that was not life-threatening.
Police said they recovered a gun and ammunition.
A fourth shooting took place near 98 Talbot Ave. around 2:53 a.m. after ShotSpotter reported multiple gunshots, police said. Officers arrived to find a man with gunshot wounds that were not believed to be life-threatening, police said.
The shootings are under investigation as separate crimes, but police said they are examining whether one or more of the incidents are connected.
The Boston Police Detectives Benevolent Society, a union for police detectives, praised Flynn and Murphy’s letter on Monday.
“Thank you @ErinforBoston & @EdforBoston for your support and being willing to ask the right questions,” the union said via X.
Travis Andersen can be reached at travis.andersen@globe.com.
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