The Tech That Helped Take Down Marathon Bombing Suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev

The second suspect in the brutal Boston Marathon bombings has been apprehended, after five days of uncertainty and fear. And while all credit for Dzhokar Tsarnaev's capture goes to the men and women of the many, many agencies that spent the last week tracking him down, technology played as prominent a role as it ever has in a time of national crisis.

The Tech That Helped Take Down Marathon Bombing Suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev

A Smartphone



The Tech That Helped Take Down Marathon Bombing Suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev

Surveillance cameras



The Tech That Helped Take Down Marathon Bombing Suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev

Explosive Ordnance Disposal

In the immediate aftermath of the explosion, the local bomb squad was joined by a Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit to seek out any other potential explosive packages. As rumors and misinformation swirled through Twitter, Reddit, and other social media channels, it became crucial to determine quickly what was a threat, and what was just a misplaced bag. This bot, or one like it, helped make that call.


The Tech That Helped Take Down Marathon Bombing Suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev

Forward-Looking Infrared Cameras

After the Watertown curfew was lifted, a still-unidentified resident stepped out of his house to enjoy his newfound freedom. It was then that he saw that his boat was smeared with blood, and that a blood-soaked man was hiding under its tarp. To confirm that this was in fact where Tsarnaev was hiding, police called in a helicopter equipped with a forward-looking infrared (FLIR) camera.

FLIR cameras are equipped with special sensors that can detect infrared radiation, such as that caused by a heat source. Specifically, in this case, caused by a heat source belonging to a human body. Think of it as the Boston PD's own Predator-vision, mounted to a chopper flying overhead, well out of harm's way. FLIR cameras have the added benefit of being able to see through smoke, fog, and other barriers. Including tarps.

The Tech That Helped Take Down Marathon Bombing Suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev



Flashbangs, have been used in military operations since the 1960s, although they're probably better known as a popular weapon in several video games. While they don't cause serious injury, they do blind their target for up to five seconds, and cause temporary loss of both hearing and balance. There were reports of a small fire on the boat after the flashbangs were deployed; that's not entirely surprising, given that the amount of heat they generate can ignite flammables.

Image credit: Wiki Commons 1, 2, Shutterstock, AP