BROOKLYN — The set of "Boardwalk Empire" looked more like "NYPD Blue" Wednesday afternoon.
Members of the NYPD's Emergency Service Unit took part in a training exercise on the set of the popular HBO drama in Greenpoint. Flying over the staged scene via helicopter, they fast-roped onto the boardwalk, stormed the ersatz Ritz Carlton Hotel, rescued some "hostages" and arrested six "armed terrorists."
They also airlifted a "wounded officer" to safety, and officers yelled at running "civilians," played by college students in the NYPD Cadet Corps, to "get on the ground" while the helicopter hovered above.
The mock raid was meant to hone the unit's skills in cases where cops might face multiple active shooters, much like what occurred in Mumbai in 2008 when armed terrorists killed more than 160 people, according to police.
The third season of the critically acclaimed show, which stars Steve Buscemi, premiered on Sunday night, sans helicopter.
