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Canada: Family turns in child for aiming laser pointer at helicopter

A family in Severn Township, Ontario, admitted that they were responsible for an October 7 2011 incident when an Ontario Provincial Police helicopter was twice struck by a green laser beam. A crew member saw the beam in the sky and warned the pilot before the laser directly illuminated the cockpit. The pilot looked away and did not experience flash blindness.

The family came forward after police asked for the public’s assistance in finding the source of the beam. The family said they had just bought the laser pointer, and one of the younger children was pointing it into the sky. The said there was no intent to cause a problem and they now know better.

Because there was no criminal intent, no charges were brought.

From the Barrie Examiner. The paper also carried an earlier article describing the incident and how police were looking for the laser source.