A comprehensive resource for safe and responsible laser use

US: Florida man aims laser towards helicopter, arrested with meth

33-year-old Stephen Gladu was arrested February 15 2021 for shining a green laser three times at an Indian River County Sheriff's Office helicopter.

Both the pilot and tactical officer had the laser light shined into their eyes. They found the source was a vehicle. A deputy on the ground stopped Gladu, who told them he had been watching the stars. He said he was not aiming at the helicopter and any hit was accidental.

During the arrest, Gladu was found to have 7 grams of crystal methamphetamine in a baggie.

Gladu, who lives in Riverview in Hillsborough County, was charged with misuse of laser lighting and possession of a controlled substance.

Stephen Gladu laser squashed
Stephen Gladu


From TCPalm

US: Two separate arrests for aiming laser at sheriff's helicopter; in one, pilot blinded for 3-5 minutes

In two separate incidents, a laser beam was pointed at the Volusia County (Florida) Sheriff's Office helicopter.

On September 22 2020, 29-year-old Ryan Hutton was arrested for aiming a green laser pointer at the helicopter while he was on a boat. The helicopter had been on a burglary call. The pilot's vision in his right eye was affected for about three to five minutes "like a flashbulb going off in front of his eye" according to a news story.

Hutton told arresting officers he thought the helicopter was a drone.

A day later, 60-year-old Gregory Marr aimed at the Sheriff's Office helicopter while they were conducting a search. Officers from nearby Flagler County were directed to Marr's home.

Gregory Marr laser squashed
Gregory Marr


Both men were charged with pointing a laser at a driver or pilot.

From ClickOrlando.com

US: Florida man arrested for aiming laser at sheriff's helicopter; pilot gets medical treatment

A 32-year-old man was arrested for repeatedly aiming a green laser beam at an Orange County (Florida) Sheriff's Office helicopter on November 5 2020.

The pilot was able to direct ground officer's to the laser's location. Jason Ogle had a laser in his hand but threw it inside a house's doorway as deputies approached.

2020-11-11 Orange County Sheriff laser squashed
Screenshot from Sheriff's Office video. Jason Ogle's body and head is the gray blob above the beam location in the middle of the screen.


Ogle was charged with pointing a laser light at a driver or pilot.

The pilot sought medical treatment for unspecified issues with his eyes.

From ClickOrlando.com. Video from the helicopter is available on the web page.

US: 3 trick-or-treaters arrested for aiming laser at sheriff's helicopter on Halloween

On Halloween night, October 31 2020, three trick-or-treaters were arrested in Fort Meyers, Florida for intentionally aiming a green laser at a Lee County Sheriff's Office Aviation Unit helicopter.

Lee County Fl Haloween 2020 laser squashed
Screenshot from Lee County Sheriff's Office video which is available on Facebook, link here. The person on the left is aiming a laser at the helicopter. The bright green beam is not visible in this photo because the infrared (non-visible heat) camera is in use.

The helicopter crew directed ground units to the three persons, who were getting candy at the time.

Click to read more...

US: Miami man acquitted of charges for aiming a laser at a police helicopter

On December 24 2018, an airliner reported being hit by a laser beam near Miami International Airport. A Miami police helicopter, sent to investigate, was also illuminated by a laser.

The helicopter crew spotted a man on a construction site with a laser, who left the construction parking field in a Ford Escape SUV. The driver was found to be Rolando Yague, 60.

He was charged with misuse of a laser pointer, a third-degree felony. Due to previous convictions, he could have received up to 10 years in prison.

At trial in mid-February 2020, Yague was acquitted of the charge. His lawyer told the Miami Herald that the area had many construction workers all wearing orange vests and that "There was absolutely no direct evidence. No video. No physical evidence. No laser pointer was ever found. Not a single person could identify Rolando Yague as having a laser in his possession at that field.”

Yague's dealings with the justice system are not over. Because of a 1988 prior conviction for armed robbery and attempted murder, Yague was on probation at the time of the laser incident. He was jailed for violating his probation by being arrested. He must convince a judge that, because he was acquitted of the charge, he did not violate his probation conditions.

From the Miami Herald

US: Florida man shot with taser after aiming laser at aircraft and police helicopter

In a widely publicized incident, a man who aimed a laser at aircraft near a Florida airport was tased by officers sent to contact him. One pilot said the laser light went directly into his eyes, causing temporary blindness and lingering blurred vision. The pilot went to a local medical center and was discharged.

On January 22 2020, a man in an industrial area aimed a green laser pointer at aircraft near Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport, including a United Airbus A320 and Cessna Skyhawk planes that were practicing takeoffs and landings. Most reports said four aircraft were targeted, although airport police quoted in one story said only two airplanes were struck. The same story indicated it was the Cessna student pilot who reported eyesight problems.

A Manatee County Sheriff's Office helicopter was sent to investigate. The man aimed his laser at the helicopter as well as throwing objects towards it. The crew was able to pinpoint his location, about a quarter mile from the runway approach.

When deputies arrived on the scene, they found 41-year-old Charlie James Chapman Jr. He was on a forklift, and made a "striking motion" with a hammer towards the officers. They used a Taser two times to subdue Chapman. A laser pointer was found in his pants pocket. He was taken to a hospital, and later to jail.


Charlie James Chapman Jr.


Chapman was charged with aggravated assault on an officer, pointing a laser at a pilot with injury, pointing a laser at a pilot without injury and resisting without violence.

The sheriff's office released video from the helicopter:



Some stills from the video:


The laser is aimed towards the helicopter.


An almost direct hit on the camera lens.


The man throws a small object (arrow) towards the helicopter — not reaching it, of course. The forklift can be seen on the right.


In an infrared view, officers (white shapes) move in to confront the perpetrator.


Chapman was apprehended at 8224 25th Court East in Sarasota, which is the worksite of Vulcan Materials Co., a ready-mix concrete supplier according to Google Maps.

From the Manatee County Sheriff's Office press release, the Orlando Sentinel via MSN, WRCBTV.com, ABC13.com, the Washington Post, WCTV, USA Today, and many other news sources and services. Thanks to Greg Makhov, Jack Dunn and Donna Colona for also bringing this to our attention.

US: WestJet pilot is said to have eyes "burned" at 10,000 feet

A WestJet passenger plane about 25 miles from landing at Orlando International Airport was illuminated by a green laser on May 18 2019. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, the aircraft was descending through 10,000 feet at the time of the incident. FAA also reported that the pilot's eyes were burned.

The flight continued to Orlando's airport and landed about 15 minutes after the incident.

At FAA's request, the Volusia County Sheriff's Office was asked to investigate a possible location for the laser. Deputies found a house with a bright green porch light, but the residents said they did not own a laser pointer.

The pilot was referred for medical examination, as per WestJet's standard operating procedure.

WestJet released a statement: "Laser incidents pose a serious concern to crew and aircraft safety and have serious repercussions for those found to be shining lasers in a manner that could result in injury or damage. These incidents are reported immediately to local authorities for further investigation. Pilots are extremely focused during all phases of flight, but especially during take-off and landing, when most laser incidents occur. When any sort of light enters the flight deck, pilots are trained to look away and maintain focus but they must also maintain vigilant with respect to their surroundings and monitor the apron prior to landing. Pilots take on an incredible responsibility controlling an aircraft, and it is WestJet’s duty to ensure a safe work environment for them to operate in. Any pilot who reports being struck by a laser is required for safety and health reasons to have an ophthalmology evaluation."

From the Aviation Voice, WESH.com, News965.com, and ClickOrlando.com

COMMENTARY FROM LASERPOINTERSAFETY.COM

It is almost a certainty that the pilot's eyes were not burned by the laser exposure. A laser beam that traveled 10,000 feet would have to be extraordinarily powerful to even potentially cause an eye injury.

Laser beams spread out with distance. At 10,000 feet a laser beam would expand to be at least three feet wide. Only a fraction of the beam power would go through the pupil of the pilot's eye. (In fact, of the original laser irradiance, only 0.003 percent would go through the pilot's pupil.)

What power would it take? A 190 watt laser with a very narrow 1 milliradian beam has a Nominal Ocular Hazard Distance of about 10,000 feet. This means the laser light is generally considered safe after the NOHD distance. This does not mean that just inside the NOHD there would be an injury. Laser safety standards have a built in "safety factor" or "reduction factor."

To have a 50/50 chance of causing the smallest medically detectable eye injury at a distance of 10,000 feet, the laser would have to be about 1,900 watts at a 1 mrad divergence.

By comparison, the most powerful handheld lasers currently available are in the 3 watt range with claimed wattage (not confirmed) up to about 6 watts. Most laser pointers used in incidents are less than 1 watt.

It may be that someone aimed a non-handheld, plug-in-the-wall laser beam at the pilot. Even here, 190 to 1,900 watts is fairly powerful. There are some industrial and research lasers much more powerful than this, but to the best of our knowledge the only non-handheld lasers involved in aircraft lasings have been from laser light shows. For such shows, 60 to 80 watts is about the most powerful from a single laser source. There were no reported outdoor laser light shows the night of the WestJet incident.

Some news articles gave an impression that, because the pilot's eyes were burned, he or she went for a medical examination. But as explained above, this is routine policy. WestJet requires "any pilot who reports being struck by a laser … to have an ophthalmology evaluation."

It could be that the pilot had an eye effect, such as irritation from the bright flash of light, or that the pilot rubbed his or her eyes so hard that they scratched their cornea — a painful condition which heals.

For more information

More information about laser eye effects on pilots is here. A quick summary is that 1) there have been no proven or documented eye injuries to pilots according to U.S. FAA, U.K. CAA and Transport Canada, and 2) top laser safety experts have written that "There is no evidence to suggest that lasers pointed at airplane cockpits damage pilots’ eyesight."

A table listing eye effects and incidents reported to U.S. FAA in past years is on the laser/aircraft illumination statistics page.

US: 22-year-old Florida man arrested for aiming green laser at sheriff's helicopter

A 22-year-old man was arrested May 16 2019 for aiming a green laser at a Manatee County (Florida) Sheriff's Office helicopter.

The aircraft was on routine patrol when it was illuminated by laser light from an apartment balcony. Ground officers were directed to a high-rise condo where they found Vladamir Altman. He told officers he was the person who aimed at the helicopter.


Vladamir Altman


Altman was charged with a felony, that carries both fines and prison time.

From
WTSP.com and WFLA.com

US: Orlando man arrested for aiming laser at sheriff's helicopter three times

An Orlando man wearing only boxer shorts aimed a laser three times at an Orange County Sheriff's Office helicopter on April 3 2019.

Ground officers were sent to the laser location, which was the home of Rodger Dean Smith, 47. He denied aiming the laser at the helicopter. Officers found a laser pointer in the home.


Officers outside the home of Rodger Dean Smith, from the Sheriff's Office helicopter infrared camera


Officers also found 12 firearms. As a convicted felon, Smith is prohibited from having firearms.

He was charged with 12 counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, assault on a law enforcement officer, and pointing a laser at a driver or pilot.

After bonding out of jail, Smith said he did not aim at the aircraft: "They were wrong. I'll have my day in court. I did not point no laser, they do not know what they're talking about."

From the Orlando Sentinel and Spectrum News 13

US: Florida man ignores laser label, aims it at aircraft anyway

A 48-year-old man was charged with a third-degree felony under Florida law after aiming a red laser beam at a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office helicopter — despite the laser having a warning label stating "Never aim at aircraft."

On February 17 2019, the helicopter was monitoring a fire at about 2:30 am when a red beam was shined at the aircraft three times. An infrared camera captured a suspect aiming towards the helicopter from the door of a screened-in porch.



Deputies on the ground went to a house in unincorporated Clearwater and arrested Brian Harting, who admitted aiming a laser at the aircraft.


Brian Harting


Harting also said he was unaware that doing so was illegal. The laser had a label stating "Never aim at aircraft."

From the Miami Herald and WFLA

Commentary from LaserPointerSafety.com: As far as we are aware, this is the first case where a person was apprehended with a laser that had a label warning against aiming at aircraft. Such a warning is not required in the U.S., as the Food and Drug Administration only requires labels that warn against injury to eyes or skin, or a potential burn hazard. FDA does recommend that laser pointer manufacturers add a a warning against aiming at aircraft, but this is not legally required.

Such a label has two advantages: 1) It can warn persons who read the label, and 2) it is easier to prosecute a person in court if they were specifically warned on the laser not to aim at aircraft, but they did so anyway. More discussion is on the page "What should be done about laser pointers?" in the two sections with labeling recommendations.

US: UPDATED - Florida woman arrested for aiming laser at sheriff's helicopter. Knew it was wrong; charges later dropped.

A Florida woman has been arrested for aiming a green laser beam multiple times at a Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office helicopter on June 21 2018. The pilot received “immediate” medical attention and did not appear to be injured.

Jacqueline Robledo, 33, of Lake Worth, was arrested. She told officers she was aware that the laser light could cause blindness. She was charged with misuse of a laser lighting device and was held on $3,000 bond.

Jacqueline Robledo laser


From the Palm Beach Post, Tampa Bay Times and NBC-2.com

UPDATED August 12 2018 - Charges against Jacqueline Robledo were dropped on August 9 2018. There was no reason given. Robledo did not have any previous criminal history. From myPalmBeachPost.com

US: Student lands safely despite windscreen blocked by oil

A 20-year-old student pilot landed safely at Daytona Beach International Airport on April 26 2018, despite his forward windscreen vision being blocked.

A substance appearing to be oil coated the Cessna 172’s windscreen. The unnamed student said “I literally can’t see a thing” to flight controllers who safely talked him down. The incident lasted about 7 1/2 minutes.

Air traffic controller Tim Martin, who helped the student, said “That’s probably like a worst-case scenario for that pilot to land that plane with zero visibility.”

A spokesperson at at the student’s school, Embry Riddle Aeronautical University, said “the student-pilot did exactly what he had been trained to do.”

From the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Although this incident does not involve a laser, it does involve a pilot with no forward vision undertaking a landing, and thus may be relevant to pilots who are temporarily blinded by a dazzling laser beam exposure.

US: Florida man arrested for aiming at sheriff's office helicopter

A 35-year-old man was arrested for aiming a laser pointer at a Hernando County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office helicopter on November 26 2017.

The aircraft was searching for a missing child at the time. The pilot and tactical flight officer were illuminated five times by the laser. It affected their ability to see and to give updated locations of the child, whom they had spotted shortly before the laser strikes.

Eric D. Harper was arrested at his home. Harper admitted to aiming at the aircraft. He told the arresting officers that he was sorry and he was unaware aiming a laser at an aircraft was illegal.

Eric D Harper laser
Eric D. Harper

From the Tampa Bay Times and ABC Action News

Note from LaserPointerSafety.com: Both stories quoted the sheriff’s office as saying that viewing a laser from infrared equipment such as FLIR cameras can severely damage the human eye.” This is not true. The laser may cause the FLIR viewing screen to “bloom” to full white or full green, which is very bright and of course can interfere with vision. The laser might even damage the FLIR sensor. But the FLIR sensor stops the laser beam itself — no laser light can enter the eye, and thus no eye damage could occur.

US: Teen arrested in Florida for aiming laser at sheriff's helicopter

A 15-year-old boy from Bradenton Florida was arrested for aiming a green laser beam multiple times at a Manatee County Sheriff’s Office helicopter on December 12 2017.

The helicopter crew directed ground officers to a home in Bradenton, where the teen was arrested. According to a sheriff’s office spokesperson, the boy was not able to explain why he pointed the laser at the helicopter.

The unnamed youth was taken to the Juvenile Booking Facility.

From the Bradenton Herald

US: UPDATED - Helicopter pilot lands; detains laser pointer suspect

Officers in a helicopter flying for the Pasco (Florida) County Sheriff’s Office were illuminated by laser light on December 5 2017. The pilot landed the aircraft in an empty parking lot, walked to the suspect’s home, and detained him.

Pilot Stephen Bowman was assisting with a situation involving a barricaded suspect, when he was hit by the laser at around 10:50 pm. Bowman told Bay News 9, “It blinded us temporarily for a couple of seconds — extremely painful. Once we came to, we saw a couple more flashes from the laser." Examination of video from the helicopter showed about 10 flashes.

Bowman began tracking the suspect. After landing the helicopter and going to the suspect’s home, there he detained Ryan Fluke, 27.

Bowman said Fluke was “a little confused”, asking where the helicopter was. Fluke also told Bowman he was doing it for fun. Fluke did not realize that lasers could travel a long distance (the helicopter was about 800 feet in the air). Fluke apologized to Bowman.

Fluke was charged with a third-degree felony, misuse of laser lighting devices. He had 12 previous arrests in Pasco County.

Ryan Fluke laser squashed80pct
Ryan Fluke

From the Bradenton Herald and ABC News, whose story includes police video of what the laser looked like from the air.

UPDATED MARCH 28 2019: Fluke pleaded guilty November 20 2018 to aiming a laser at an aircraft and was sentenced to 21 months in federal prison, in March 2019. From ABC Action News, the Global Dispatch and a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Florida.

US: Aviation student arrested for aiming laser at airplane, control tower

A 23-year-old who said he was attending flight school to become a pilot was arrested Jan 3 2016 for aiming a green laser beam at an American Airlines flight landing at Daytona Beach International Airport, and at the control tower of the airport.

The control tower had called police around 10 pm after the two laser illuminations. Using binoculars, an air traffic controller had spotted a person in the area where the laser light came from.

Police picked up Gerardo Sanchez “because he was the only one walking near the airport” at the time. Sanchez had a laser on him, and told an officer he had been pointing the laser in different directions. He said he had aimed it in the general direction of an aircraft, and at the control tower several times. Sanchez said he was studying to be a pilot at the ATP Flight School, located at the airport; ATP had not confirmed whether Sanchez was a student.

Two air traffic controllers had laser light in their eyes. One pilot told police “the green laser did affect him for about one or two seconds because it was pointed at his eyes.” The other pilot saw the beam but the light was not pointed directly at him.

Gerardo Sanchez laser
Gerardo Sanchez


Sanchez was charged with pointing a laser light at a driver/pilot, which is a felony.

From the Daytona Beach News-Journal. Note: Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, also located in Daytona Beach, lists a “Gerardo Sanchez” as a student of theirs who was hired April 2014 as an instructor pilot by the Saudi Flight Academy. The photo shows an older person who does not resemble the 23-year-old Gerardo Sanchez who claimed to be a student pilot. We are mentioning this to avoid any confusion between the two Sanchez’s.

US: Florida man arrested for aiming laser at police helicopter

A 26-year-old man was arrested on July 8 2016, for repeatedly aiming green laser light at a Marion County (Florida) sheriff’s helicopter.

Officers in the helicopter were searching for a kidnapping suspect when they were illuminated 15-20 times as they flew over Weirsdale, Florida, about an hour northwest of Orlando. The pilot was directly hit in the eyes “at least five times” according to a Sheriff’s Office spokesperson.

The airborne officers used night-vision equipment to find Phillip Willman. He was arrested and told officers he only aimed the laser at the helicopter once. Willman was charged with six counts of pointing laser light at a driver or pilot.

Pic 2016-07-11 at 5.05.30 PM
Phillip Willman


The Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said that during 2016, there have been “over five” incidents where lasers were aimed at helicopters, two of which ended with an arrest.

From FOX35 Orlando

US: Florida man aims "laser comb" at helicopter, is arrested

A Florida man aimed a Bosley LaserComb, used to stimulate hair growth, at a Marion County Sheriff’s helicopter on September 2 2015. The pilot was temporarily blinded. In addition, his night vision goggles were overwhelmed by the bright light.

The helicopter crew radioed ground officers, who arrested Mark A. Geohagan, 55, of Ocala. He told officers it was “not a laser” but a laser comb. Geohagan said he was testing the distance the light could reach, and that he meant no harm. Geohagan was charged a few hours later with pointing a laser light at a driver or pilot.

Mark Allen Albert Geohagan laser
Mark A. Geohagan. His middle name was variously reported as “Allen” or “Albert”


The Bosley LaserComb Elite used by Geohagan has nine red 650nm laser diodes arranged in a line, that normally are directed towards a person’s scalp. When aimed into space, it produces a single, “extremely bright” spot of light as described in more detail after the “Read More…” link below.

From the Ocala StarBanner and Orlando Sentinel. Thanks to Chuck Maricle, Ph.D., for background information on hair comb products. For additional description and analysis of laser combs, click the “read more…” link.

Click to read more...

US: 2 Orlando men competed to see who could hit more aircraft with lasers

Two Orlando men, who had just bought new laser pointers, aimed them into the sky to test the beams’ distance. Bystanders told them to point at airplanes, so the men began a competition to see who could target more aircraft.

The contest took place on July 7 2015. One of the aircraft was a Sheriff’s Office helicopter. Ground officers arrested Rolando Espinoza, 22, and Shannan Winemiller, 21. Espinoza told deputies “he thought he heard that it’s illegal to point lasers at airplanes, but he wasn’t sure at the time.” Each man was charged with pointing a laser light at a driver or pilot, a third degree felony in Florida.

From January 1 to July 7 2015, there were 47 laser/aircraft incidents reported to the FBI in Central and Southwest Florida. Sixteen of these were in the Orlando area.

Rolando Espinoza laser Shannan Winemiller laser
Rolando Espinoza, left, and Shannan Winemiller


From the Orlando Sentinel

US: Air Force base employee, 57, repeatedly hits Tampa sheriff's helicopter with laser

A man who worked as a historian at MacDill Air Force Base near Tampa, Florida, was arrested March 13 2015 for aiming a laser pointer at a Hillsborough County Sheriff’s helicopter. There had been reports of a pilot flying over Plant City, Florida who was flashed by a green laser beam. The sheriff’s helicopter was sent to investigate. The pilot reported “he’s hitting us repeatedly, and he’s not shy about it.” An infrared camera caught 57-year-old William Polson in the act:

William Polson laser 3


The suspect, realizing he had been spotted, took off in his car — with the laser. However, ground officers caught Polson at the entrance to his subdivision and took him to jail, where he was charged with misusing a laser device which is a felony, and for opposing a police officer during an arrest which is a misdemeanor.

William Polson laser 2
William Polson


According to the Tampa Tribune, in September 2013 Polson sent an email to the newspaper saying he had been harassed for several years by law enforcement helicopters and aircraft. He said the harassment occurred daily but “made no sense” because he is “no threat to anyone.”

From ABC Action News WFTS Tampa Bay and the Tampa Tribune

US: Florida man arrested for aiming green laser at sheriff's helicopter

A 22-year-old Coconut Creek, Florida man was arrested November 26 2014 for aiming a green laser beam three times at a Broward Sheriff’s Office helicopter. Jonathan Leiva was charged with misuse of a laser lighting device, and was released on $1,000 bond.

An officer in the helicopter, deputy Christopher Marchese said the crew was searching for a suspect when the cockpit was suddenly illuminated with a “big green light”. He was illuminated directly in his right eye, and another crew member was also hit in the eye. When the beam hit again, Marchese was able to see the laser beam and follow it down to Leiva’s location. Ground officers arrested Leiva, who admitted shining his laser at the helicopter.

Jonathan Alan Leiva laser
Jonathan Alan Leiva


From January 1 to November 14 2014, there were 317 laser/aircraft incidents in Florida. 49 of these took place in Broward County, and 18 in adjacent Palm Beach County.

From WSFN News, Aviation News via the Sun Sentinel

US: UPDATED - Laser at Orlando-area high school football game hits TV & police helicopters

Police in Oviedo, a city 18 miles northeast of Orlando, are searching for two suspects who aimed a green laser beam at a local TV helicopter, and then at a Seminole County Sheriff’s Office helicopter on September 19 2014.

WKMG-TV’s helicopter was filming a football game at Paul J. Hagerty High School with the incident occurred. A screenshot of footage from the TV helicopter shows the bright green flash as the beam is aimed directly at the camera:

WKMG TV helicopter laser Oviedo 01


A second later, as the beam is aimed away from the camera, the laser location is visible in the crowd at the end of the bleachers:

WKMG TV helicopter laser Oviedo 02


A close-up of the video footage, taken just after the laser was turned off, shows the two suspects. The bright object at lower left inside the yellow circle appears to be the laser, held in the left suspect’s right hand.


WKMG TV helicopter laser Oviedo 03


According to the station, a sheriff’s department helicopter was also hit; presumably it was responding to the WKMG illumination. Deputies told WKMG reporter Shaun Chaiyabhat that they talked to two teenaged suspects, but the deputies think the teens might have passed the laser pointer to friends in the crowd.

Chaiyabhat said “The Sheriff’s Office is taking this very seriously because they say it could be a federal crime.”

From ClickOrlando.com.

UPDATED - September 22 2014: WKMG ran a recap and short update on the story. The laser was not only pointed at the helicopters, but “players on the field were also complaining of getting flashed by the bright light.” As of the update, no arrests had been made.

US: Airplane flight patterns changed after Tampa man aims laser at landing aircraft

A 24-year-old Tampa man using a laser pointer hit four commercial aircraft on approach to Tampa International Airport on September 7 2014. Ahmed Maher Elhelw also illuminated a Tampa police helicopter that was investigating, hitting it four times within four minutes.

Ahmed Maher Elhelw laser
Ahmed Maher Elhelw


As a result of the laser strikes on the commercial aircraft, air traffic controllers rerouted “a handful” of flights. This is one of the first times that LaserPointerSafety.com is aware of commercial aircraft in the U.S. being redirected to avoid laser attacks.

A spokesperson for the Tampa airport was quoted as saying ““It’s really not a big deal for us to reroute flights at night. We do it all the time for different reasons. The passengers probably wouldn’t even know.”

Click to read more...

US: SW Florida teen "meant no harm" by aiming a laser at an airplane and police helicopter

A teenager who recently moved to southwest Florida from Cuba was arrested after he aimed a laser pointer at a commercial aircraft and a police helicopter, on August 8 2014.

Seventeen-year-old Daniel Castillo first pointed the laser at an aircraft coming into to land at Southwest Florida International Airport in South Fort Myers. A Lee County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was sent to find the source. Castillo then aimed three times at the helicopter. Ground officers were directed to his location where he was arrested.

Daniel Castillo laser
Daniel Castillo


The youth told WZVN TV that he was playing with the laser and did not mean any harm. His uncle said that Castillo did not know it was wrong: “It’s not like it was intentional to hurt someone, he didn’t know the consequence.”

A spokesman for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Division said that laser illuminations can be “very distracting and devastating... All of our crews have been hit with lasers at one point or another. It’s just getting worse and worse.”

From WZVN ABC-7

US: Florida man, 52, arrested; helicopter noise bothered him so he aimed a laser at it

A 52-year-old from West Boca, Florida, was arrested July 10 2014 for aiming a laser pointer at a Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office helicopter. The pilots said they had been “disoriented” by the laser light.

James McDonald told arresting officers that the noise had been bothering him. He apologized, saying that he did not know that pointing a laser at an aircraft was illegal.

He was charged with pointing a laser light at a pilot, which is a third-degree felony in Florida.

From the Sun Sentinel

US: Tampa man indicted for Feb. 2014 lasing of police helicopter

A federal grand jury on June 17 2014 indicted Jeremy Wayne Sumpter, 29, on charges of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

In February 2014, Sumpter was arrested after a police helicopter was hit by a green laser beam. He told the arresting officer that he was responsible. When the pilot arrived, wearing his flight suit, Sumpter asked him, “Were you the one in the helicopter?”

From the Tampa Bay Times

US: UPDATED - Yet another Orlando person arrested for aiming laser at sheriff's helicopter

In the third Orlando-area incident in less than a month, 30-year-old Joseph Parrott was arrested on July 2 2014 for aiming a green laser pointer at an Orange County sheriff’s department helicopter.

Joseph Parrott laser
Joseph Parrott


The helicopter crew was investigating an attempted burglary when they were hit “about four or five times” by a person in a car stopped at a traffic light. Parrott was charged with knowingly and willfully pointing a laser lighting device at the pilot of an aircraft, which is a third degree felony in Florida. Federal charges under the February 2012 law -- with a maximum penalty of five years in jail and a $250,000 fine -- may also be filed. In addition, the state attorney’s office was considering charging the driver of the car, Steven Romano, age 55.

Joseph Parrott arrest laser
During the arrest, Romano’s car at right, has six police vehicles behind it.


This incident comes less than a month after an Orlando-area teen was arrested June 7 for aiming a laser at a Seminole County sheriff’s helicopter (just north of Orlando), and only two days after an Orlando-area teen was arrested June 30 for aiming a laser at an Osceola County sheriff’s helicopter (just south of Orlando).

From ClickOrlando.com and the Orlando Sentinel

UPDATED November 18 2014 - Parrott was found guilty of aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States. Parrott faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for February 2, 2015. From an FBI press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Middle District of Florida.

US: Another Orlando-area teen arrested for aiming laser at sheriff's helicopter

A 17-year-old teenager from Kissimmee Florida, south of Orlando, was arrested June 30 for aiming a laser pointer at an Osceola County sheriff’s helicopter. The pilot said he was temporarily blinded by the light.

Jasiel Medina-Quintana told deputies he was playing in his backyard and did not realize it was illegal to shine a laser at an aircraft. A neighbor interviewed by WKMG said the teen shouldn’t have been arrested: “I buy them [laser pointers] for my kids all the time.... What are they going to do? Arrest every kid who has a laser pointer?” asked Joanne King.

Jasiel Medina-Quintana laser
Jasiel Medina-Quintana


Medina-Quintana was booked into the Osceola County jail and was later released into his mother’s custody.

This incident comes less than a month after another Orlando-area teen was arrested on June 7 for the same offense.

From ClickOrlando.com

US: Orlando-area teen arrested for aiming laser at sheriff's helicopter

On June 7 2014, a 19-year-old man from the north Orlando area was arrested on felony charges of pointing a laser light at a pilot, and culpable negligence.

Trevor Ragno of Longwood, Fl. aimed a green laser light at a Seminole County Sheriff’s Office helicopter that was on patrol. Ground officers were directed to a home where Ragno was found and arrested. He was released on $1000 bond the next morning.

Trevor Ragno laser Longwood Orlando
Trevor Ragno


Officials said there have been five incidents of lasers being pointed at pilots in Seminole County, all of which led to arrests. [The timespan of the five incidents -- during 2014 or all-time? -- was not indicated.]

ClickOrlando.com has an online news story from WKMG-TV which includes video from the helicopter of the laser attack, and of a person running away from a home. Below are two screens captured from the video.

Trevor Ragno laser Longwood Orlando copter

Trevor Ragno laser Longwood Orlando house


From ClickOrlando.com. Thanks to Tony Zmorenski for bringing this to our attention.

US: UPDATED - Tampa man arrested with laser pointer; marijuana also found

A Tampa-area man was charged with misuse of a laser lighting device, possession of marijuana less than 20 grams, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

On June 5 2014, a green laser was pointed at a Tampa police helicopter. The crew radioed the laser location to ground officers, who found Bradley Alan Steffes, 29, of Brandon, FL. He told officers he was playing with the laser and pointing it at random objects. A search of his pickup truck revealed a laser pointer and the drug items.

The 18-county Tampa division of the FBI recorded 102 laser/aircraft incidents in 2013.

From the Tampa Bay Times

UPDATED June 27 2014: Steffes was indicted by a federal grand jury on June 26 2014. From the Tampa Bay Times

US: UPDATED -- Florida man "just being dumb" pleads guilty to aiming laser at jet and helicopter

A Palm Beach area man pleaded guilty May 21 2014 on federal charges of aiming a laser at a commercial jet. Michael Ryan Fischer could face up to five years in prison, but prosecutors said they will recommend no prison time for the 26-year-old from Wellington, Florida, in part because he has no prior criminal record.

On December 30 2012, an AirTran pilot reported that a green light was in his cockpit as he flew about 10 miles west of Palm Beach International Airport. A police helicopter sent to investigate was also affected by the light.

Fischer was located by ground officers, who reported that the man told them “he didn’t think it was serious and he was just being dumb.”

Michael Fischer laser
Michael R. Fischer


On April 18 2014, Fischer pleaded not guilty to a federal charge of pointing a laser at an aircraft. At that time, prosecutors said he could face a six-month sentence according to a story in the Sun Sentinel. It is not known why Fischer pleaded guilty on May 21 2014, although it may have been a plea bargain to further reduce his sentence.

Original arrest story, Jan 2 2013 from WPBF. Guilty plea story, May 21/22 2014 from the Sun Sentinel and the Palm Beach Post. Update information below from a phone conversation, July 31 2014.


UPDATE -- July 31 2014: Fischer told LaserPointerSafety.com that he was sentenced July 29 in Fort Lauderdale, to two years probation and 50 hours of community service. He said, “What kept me out of jail was not having a [prior criminal] background. “ Fischer described his guilty plea as part of an agreement that helped to reduce the sentence. He said aiming the laser, which he bought for $5 from Amazon.com, at an airplane was “the worst mistake of my life. Now I am a convicted felon.”

In addition, the FAA is considering civil charges against him, for interfering with a flight crew. The fine would be up to $11,000 per violation.

According to Fischer, up until his arrest, he was unaware that lasing aircraft was hazardous or illegal. He urged that laser labels, product packaging, and marketing materials should be required to warn users against aiming at aircraft. His warning for others was “Don’t think you’re not going to get caught, because if you do it you’re going to get caught.”

Finally, Fischer said “Please let people know I would like to apologize to the pilots, the airline, and the Palm Beach Sheriff’s office.”

(Note: Fischer expressed similar sentiments in an interview with the Sun Sentinel, posted July 31 2014.)

US: Florida man arrested for aiming a laser at a commercial aircraft and police helicopter

A 51-year-old Florida man was charged with misuse of laser lighting devices, a third-degree felony, for aiming a laser at a commercial aircraft and at a police helicopter.

On December 28 2013, an aircraft landing at Southwest Florida International Airport, in South Fort Myers on the west coast of Florida, reported a laser incident. A Lee County Sheriff’s Office helicopter was sent to investigate. It was illuminated by a laser from a residence in Cape Coral, Fl.

Ground officers found Stephen Clyde Plock, 51, and two children at the residence. Plock initially denied knowledge of the laser but eventually admitted that he saw the plane and helicopter and aimed the laser into the sky.

Stephen Plock laser
Stephen Plock


From WINK News and NBC News

US: UPDATED - Florida teen sorry he aimed laser at police helicopter

A Florida teenager did not realize the hazard, when he used a green laser pointer to track a Volusia County sheriff’s helicopter less than an hour into the new year on January 1 2014.

Police said that 18-year-old Andrew Decker hit the Air One helicopter at least four times. Ground officers arrested Decker, a college student, with the laser still in his hand.

Andrew Decker laser
Andrew Decker

In a statement emailed to the Daytona Beach News-Journal, Decker said he was sorry and did not realize that what he was doing was dangerous. He said a neighbor tried to warn him it was a crime but he did not hear the man due to New Year’s celebratory firecrackers going off in his neighborhood of Holly Hill, a few miles north of Daytona Beach.

Decker wrote, “I just got that new laser and wanted to see how far the light would go. I would never do anything to hurt anyone. I just want to tell the helicopter pilot how sorry I am.”

His mother, a News-Journal employee, told the paper “I think it’s pretty clear he didn’t understand the severity of the situation.”

From the Daytona Beach News-Journal

UPDATED February 11 2014: Decker’s lawyer, David Damore, negotiated a pretrial intervention deal with prosecutors. Decker will pay a fine, do community service, and apologize in writing to the helicopter pilot. Upon completion of these actions, the charges will be dismissed. Damore said “Andrew is a good kid. This young man had no idea what he was doing and just wanted to see how far the light would go.” From the Daytona Beach News-Journal

US: One JetBlue pilot has migraines, short-term damage from Palm Beach laser exposure

On December 9 2013, a JetBlue airliner was lased as it came in to land at Palm Beach International Airport in Florida. Both pilots were exposed to laser light.

Two days later, one of the pilots’ doctor said the aviator is experiencing migraines and “short-term damage” and has been forced to take the week off. Dr. Marc Brockman of the Florida Vision Institute said there will not be long-term damage. He noted that “If this were an industrial laser, it only takes a split second [to do damage]. The doctor also said the laser perpetrator’s aim does not have to be accurate because the eye is naturally drawn to bright lights.

From
WPTV.com

US: West Palm Beach FL man calls police to report he may have lased JetBlue flight

After hearing news reports of a JetBlue airline pilot who was temporarily blinded by a laser beam when on approach to Palm Beach International Airport, a local man called CrimeStoppers to report that he may have inadvertently lased the airliner.

Jacob Finch of West Palm Beach, Florida, told TV news stations that he was using a green laser pointer to exercise his dog. He said “I guess the laser got over that fence and shot out.” Finch lives in the path of the airport, and was using the laser at about the same time as the reported incident, around 7 pm on December 9 2013.

Jacob Finch laser
Jacob Finch


Finch indicated he had no idea of the danger and would not do it again: “Oh my gosh, this possibly hurt somebody? I mean we were oblivious.... I feel horrible. It could have hurt somebody. No more lasers.”

As of December 14, there were no news reports indicating any arrests or other progress in the case from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.

From WPTV.com, WWLP.com and WFLX.com

US: UPDATED - JetBlue pilots manage to land after Palm Beach Fl. laser in cockpit

A JetBlue airliner had a “blinding” laser beamed into the cockpit on December 9 2013, and “managed to land safely” according to news reports based on statements from the Federal Aviation Administration and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s office. ABC News said it was “a potential disaster averted.”

The incident happened at about 7 pm, while JetBlue flight 521 was on approach to Palm Beach International Airport. Information from the sheriff’s office said that at 1,700 feet the pilot saw a very bright, constant green laser enter the windscreen. He believed he was intentionally tracked. He had to shield his eyes to continue trying to land the plane.

The sheriff’s office said “Thankfully they were able to land the jet safely.” The beam was thought to be from the northeast corner of two roads, but the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit did not come up with anything.
Click to read more...

US: Florida man charged with felony after lasing sheriff's helicopter

A 20-year-old man from Plant City, Florida was charged with a third degree felony for aiming a laser device at a St Lucie County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, around June 27 2013. The penalty is up to five years in jail and a $200,000 fine.

Brian Alan Hart laser
Brian Alan Hart


The helicopter was on routine patrol over Fort Pierce when someone in a black pickup truck pointed a green laser beam at the aircraft, twice. Ground deputies arrested front seat passenger Brian Alan Hart, who had a green laser pointer in his boot. The arresting officer told hard the light could have caused a crash. Hart apologized and said that “he didn’t understand the magnitude of what he had done.”

A Sheriff’s Office spokesperson said laser incidents “happen about once a month.”

Pic 2013-06-28 at 3.09.07 PM
The “A” marks the location of the incident.


From TCPalm.com and WPTV.com

US: Orlando-area tourist arrested for lasing helicopter during search mission

A tourist from Asheboro, North Carolina was arrested in Kissimmee, Florida (south of Orlando and east of Walt Disney World) on June 25 2013, and was charged with pointing a laser device at a pilot.


Ryan Paul Lucas - laser
Ryan Paul Lucas


The Osceola County Sheriff’s Department was searching for two missing boaters at around 11 pm. The pilot and observer said a green laser light blinded them three times. They were able to locate the source, a vacation rental property.

Deputies entered the house where Ryan Paul Lucas gave them the laser. The Sheriff’s Department quoted Lucas as telling the deputies that he “messed up and should not have shined the light at the helicopter.” Lucas was arrested and booked. One report said Lucas was 20 years old; another said he was 21.

The missing boaters were safety located, though it is not known whether they were found by the helicopter crew.

Pic 2013-06-26 at 7.40.44 PM
The suspect’s arrest location, marked “A”, is about 7-8 miles from theme parks at Walt Disney World


From AroundOsceola.com and Central Florida News Channel 13

US: UPDATED - Orlando man acquitted of aiming at sheriff's helicopter

A 23-year-old Orlando man was charged in late October 2012, with aiming a laser into the cockpit of a Seminole (Florida) County Sheriff's Department helicopter on July 17 2012. He faces up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines for the federal offense.

From SFGate.com and Catholic Online

UPDATED May 3 2013: The man was acquitted January 8 2013 in U.S. District Court . He wrote to LaserPointerSafety.com in May, asking that his name be removed from the above article, due to it causing difficulty when looking for work. We have removed his name and the link URLs out of courtesy, since he was acquitted. The acquittal judgment, with his name redacted, can be viewed here.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION from LaserPointerSafety.com: On May 3 2013, I spoke with the person; for convenience, I will call him "John Doe." The following is his account, based on his perspective.

On July 17 2012 he was on the phone. As he talked, he idly swung his 5 milliwatt green laser pointer back and forth in the sky. He was not aiming at anything, it was just on and swinging.

Later, a police officer came to him saying that a sheriff's department helicopter had said they saw a laser from his location. She asked if he had a laser. Doe said yes, and showed her how he had used it. She felt it was an accident and left. He did not have to surrender the laser.

In August, two FBI agents came to see him. An agent said, "You are being investigated by the Joint Terrorism Task Force, as a threat to the United States."

He was charged with a federal felony in late October 2012. When it came to trial on January 8 2013, there were police officers, plus the two FBI agent, and federal prosecutor. They showed a ten-minute video from the helicopter. Doe said you could not see the beam, just a dot that looks like any other light on the ground, which at one point got brighter.

The trial lasted about three hours. The judge dismissed the case for lack of evidence, and he was formally acquitted.

Doe did say, "Definitely people should be very careful as these lasers are not toys, but It would be one thing if my intent was malicious and I had a very powerful laser. Then, calling this a felony and having a five-year penalty would be justified for a high powered laser. There needs to more public awareness on the issue.”

US: UPDATED - Florida man blames stores for selling him a laser pointer

A 44-year-old man was arrested July 15 2012 for aiming a laser pointer at a Polk County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office helicopter. Gary Don Carroll told officers that “he did not understand why the stores would sell a laser pointer if the laser pointer is illegal to use.” The Highland City man was charged under Florida statute 784.062(3a), Misuse of Laser Lighting Devices, which is a third-degree felony.

Gary Don Carroll laser
Gary Don Carroll


From TheLedger.com

UPDATED — On December 17 2014, Gary Don Carroll was arrested for leaving the scene of a fatal crash that occurred on February 22 2014. A 32-year-old man, Eric Wayne Pope of Lakeland, Florida, was killed while riding his bicycle with reflective vest and lights. Analysis of paint chips, completed December 15, pointed to Carroll’s car as being involved. Carroll was also charged with tampering with evidence, for having his truck’s hood and headlight replaced. Carroll has “an extensive criminal arrest history which includes six felony, four misdemeanor, six unknown level arrests, and two failures to appear. He has been in the Polk County jail 10 times before his current arrest.” From the Daily Ridge

US: Jacksonville man arrested for one lasing; may be linked to others

A Jacksonville-area man was arrested June 4 2012 for aiming a green laser four times at a Sheriff’s Office aircraft. In addition, police said there were “several” other incidents of aircraft being lased in the area; one pilot said he had been lased ten times recently.

The pilot located the house and called in ground units. While police were talking to a woman, Tyler John Pennywitt, 40, was seen running through the house. He was arrested while hiding in the shower.

Pennywitt said he had pointed a laser at aircraft “more than a dozen times” but that he did not know the laser could reach to the aircraft. While he was arrested for a Florida felony, misuse of a laser device on an aircraft, he could also face federal criminal charges.

Tyler John Pennywitt laser
Tyler John Pennywitt


From Jacksonville.com, News4Jax.com and ActionNewsJax.com

US: Orlando man who lased 23+ planes pleads guilty; could get 5 year jail term

Orlando-area resident Glenn Stephen Hansen pleaded guilty on May 16 2012 to aiming a laser beam at an aircraft. He had been accused of lasing aircraft taking off from Orlando International Airport (OIA) at least 23 times. However, under terms of his Plea Agreement, Hansen will be charged with just one count of knowingly aiming the beam of a laser at an aircraft. In return, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will not charge Hansen with any of the other 22 potential federal criminal offenses.

Hansen could receive up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. In addition, he “agrees to make full restitution to the affected airline companies.” He may not face the maximum, since the U.S. agreed to downward adjustments in the sentencing guidelines in return for Hanson accepting responsibility for his actions.

As of May 16 Hansen has not been sentenced.

The Plea Agreement states that Hansen “temporarily blinded or distracted the pilots of commercial passenger airliners during a critical phase of flight as those aircraft took off from OIA…. On some occasions, the laser beam … caused pilots to lose their night vision and, on at least one occasion, resulted in a pilot’s removal from duty for medical examinations and to recover from temporary vision problems.”

When arrested on March 24 2012, Hansen told FBI agents that he aimed a laser pointer as “stress relief” from “noise anxiety” due to aircraft flying overhead. He said that “he did not know that the laser would harm the pilots or affect the aircraft.”

LaserPointerSafety.com’s original story on the March 24 arrest is here. The full text of the U.S. Attorney’s office press release is below (click the “Read More…” link).
Click to read more...

US: Jacksonville-area teens arrested for lasing Coast Guard helicopter

Two Jacksonville, Fl. area teenagers were arrested March 22 for illuminating the cabin of a Coast Guard helicopter. The Dauphin MH65D aircraft was operating near the suburb of Orange Park when it was lit up several times by a green laser. The pilots were able to determine the location of the laser, and report it to the Orange Park Sheriff’s Office. They arrested 18-year-old Devon Christopher Joyner and 16-year-old Kalib Taylor Hodge. Both were charged with misuse of a laser light on an aircraft.

According to deputies, a witness had told the teens to stop lasing, because they were breaking the law. It is unknown whether this was told to them before or after they illuminated the helicopter.

From Clay Today

US: UPDATED - Orlando man arrested for lasing aircraft 23 times in 3 months

An Orlando-area man was arrested for aiming laser beams at least 23 times from January to March 2012 at aircraft taking off from Orlando International Airport. [UPDATED - May 16 2012: Hanson pleaded guilty to one count; he faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. UPDATE 2 - August 23 2012: Hanson received a six month prison sentence, plus one year probation and had to pay $10,000 restitution.]

Glenn Stephen Hansen laser
Glenn Stephen Hansen


Glenn Stephen Hansen, 49, told arresting FBI agents that he aimed a laser pointer as “stress relief” from “noise anxiety” due to aircraft flying overhead. He had filed over 500 complaints against the noise. He told the agents that airplanes “purposefully flew lower over his house in response to the noise complaints.” He was aware that shining the laser at aircraft was “wrong” but that he “had no idea” that the light could affect the pilots and cause a hazard.

Hansen was arrested March 24 2012 on new federal charges signed into law Feb. 14 by President Obama. He faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

LaserPointerSafety.com is not aware of any other person being arrested for so many laser incidents. If Hansen is responsible for 23 incidents, that represents 3.4% of all U.S. incidents, and 96% of all incidents involving Orlando International Airport, during the period in question (from January 1 through March 23).

Pic 2012-03-27 at 11.51.04 AM
Hansen was arrested at a home about 7 miles southwest of Orlando International Airport (black square).


The FBI investigation started after a January 8 2012 incident involving an AirTran departure that was 400 feet in the air when the pilot was flashed with a green light. He was tracked for 30-60 seconds, to an altitude of 2000 feet. The pilot took evasive actions including turning off all lights, making a sharp left turn, and asking for a change of course. The pilot told the FBI “he was concerned he could lose vision on the plane.”

The FBI focused on Hansen due to his previous noise complaints. Because of the accuracy of the laser “hits”, they believed Hansen was tracking flights on public websites. His home was placed under surveillance. At about 9 pm March 23 they observed a green beam coming from his house, shining towards an aircraft. (The pilot stated that the light illuminated the cockpit but did not go directly in his eye.) Hansen was arrested at about 4 am the next morning.

From the Orlando Sentinel and the criminal complaint/search warrant. The text of the U.S. Attorney’s office press release is below (click the “Read More…” link).

Click to read more...

US: Florida man arrested for New Year's Eve laser tracking

Jordan Johnston, 36, spent New Year 2012 in custody for tracking a helicopter with a green laser beam. The helicopter, shared by Gainesville (Florida) police and the local Sheriff’s office, was hit by the laser after only a few minutes in the air. The laser beam was traced back to a home where New Year’s Eve fireworks were being set off. Johnston told police he was trying to aim the laser through the fireworks smoke. However, a police spokesperson said the helicopter was “continually followed … through the flight path.”

Pic 2012-01-02 at 1.58.10 PM
It is about 1/2 mile from the helicopter’s location when it was hit (open red circle) to the home where Johnston was arrested (black square), in north Gainesville.


Johnston was arrested for a third-degree felony, misuse of a laser device.

From Gainesville.com

US: "Stupid" Florida man arrested after helicopter breaks off landing approach

Bradley Walker, 26, was arrested November 9 2011 after he aimed a green laser at a sheriff’s helicopter. The Citrus County (Florida) Sheriff’s Office deputies were on final approach to Inverness Airport when they were temporarily flashblinded. The pilot had to remove his night vision goggles and broke off the landing by banking to the left.

Bradley Walker laser
Bradley Raymond Walker

The laser continued to shine on the helicopter. The other deputy reported the laser location to ground units, who arrested Walker. According to the arrest report, when asked why he did it, Walker said he was “just being stupid” and apologized. He was charged with misuse of a laser lighting device.

From 10News and the CCSO arrest report
.

US: Man arrested after laser "blacks out" pilot

Jorge Garcia of Lehigh Acres, Florida (near Fort Myers) was arrested November 15 2011 for aiming a laser at a Lee County Sheriff’s Office helicopter. Two pilots had been searching for suspects in a shooting, when a green laser was pointed at them. According to a news report, the pilots “had been wearing night vision goggles, when the first pilot sustained injury from the laser and ‘blacked out’. “ The laser continued to be aimed at the aircraft for two minutes, until ground units arrived. Garcia was arrested after officers questioned three people found at a residence. Garcia told deputies he thought the lasing was a joke.

Pic 2011-11-16 at 1.10.32 PM
Jorge Garcia, charged with one count of pointing a laser light at a driver or pilot, causing injury.


The pilot suffered an eye injury, according to police. He was taken to a hospital, treated, and released.

From WINK News and WZVN-HD
.

US: Long saga of Frank Newton Anderson appears over: probation and $4000 fine

The long saga of Frank Newton Anderson has ended with one year’s probation and a $4000 fine on a federal charge of interfering with the operation of an aircraft. Anderson faced up to 20 years in prison for lasing an Orange County Sheriff’s Office helicopter on April 13 2010.

He pleaded guilty in December 2010, and had his judge resign in June 2011 because prosecutors would not reduce the charge to a misdemeanor. The judge called Anderson “an idiot, not a criminal.” A new judge was assigned, and Anderson was sentenced in July 2011, according to an article appearing in the Orlando Sentinel on September 15 2011.

Anderson’s laser case was especially interesting since it paralleled the gunfire case of Jason Dennis McGuire. He was arrested March 21 2010 in Orlando for firing a handgun at an Orange County Sheriff’s Office helicopter. McGuire was sentenced April 26 2011 to 12 1/2 years in prison.

LaserPointerSafety.com news and updates on the Frank Newton Anderson case:
  • Original news item about the April 13 2010 incident is here.
  • December 23 2010 update on guilty plea is here.
  • January 21 2011 update on a possible 10-year sentence for firing a gun at an Orlando sheriff’s helicopter vs. a possible 20-year sentence for Anderson aiming a laser at an Orlando sheriff’s helicopter is here.
  • June 4 2011 update on judge withdrawing from Anderson’s case because prosecutors would not drop felony charge is here. (Judge: Anderson is “an idiot, not a criminal”)
  • September 16 2011 update here quoting the Orlando Sentinel as stating that Anderson was sentenced in July 2011 to one year’s probation and a $4000 fine.

US: Man charged with aiming at vehicles and sheriff's helicopter

Christopher Marden, 20, admitted aiming a laser pointer at vehicles on an Interstate highway, then turning it on a Seminole County sheriff’s helicopter on September 4 2011. The laser attacks lasted about 5-7 minutes, according to the man’s companions. The incident occurred in DeBary, Florida, roughly halfway between Orlando and Daytona Beach. The helicopter had been assisting in a suspect search.

Christopher Marden laser
Christopher Marden

The Deltona man was charged with pointing a laser light at a driver/pilot, and could also be fined up to $11,000 by the Federal Aviation Administration.

From the
Daytona Beach News-Journal and WFTV

US: Orlando teen suspected in multiple lasings of planes

After a rash of Orlando-area laser illuminations on commercial aircraft, a helicopter searching for suspects was illuminated six times by 17-year-old Stefano Fronte-Liporacci. The Venezuelan student was in possession of a green laser when he was arrested by ground units on August 28 2011. He was charged with knowingly aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, a felony.

Pic 2011-08-30 at 5.40.44 PM
Fronte-Liporacci was arrested at a home (“A” above) near Orlando International Airport.


Beginning on August 24, pilots from Jet Blue, Southwest and Atlantic Coast Airlines had reported a total of four laser incidents. This prompted the August 28 search by the Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter.

From My Fox Orlando and ClickOrlando.com

US: Judge withdraws from Florida case because felony charge is too harsh for "an idiot, not a criminal"

A federal judge refused to sentence an Orlando man who pleaded guilty on January 20 2011 to interfering with the operation of an aircraft. U.S. District Judge G. Kendall Sharp said that Frank Newton Anderson was “an idiot, not a criminal” when he aimed a laser pointer at a sheriff’s helicopter on April 13 2010.

Sharp withdrew from the case because prosecutors would not reduce the charge to a misdemeanor. The judge felt that this was a more appropriate charge and would deter any future actions. Sharp also pointed out that a felony conviction would mean that Anderson could never work in his field. (He previously owned a security company which closed when he lost his license.) The case was reassigned to a new judge.

From
NewsChief.com (The Anderson news starts on page 2 of the 3-page article.)

LaserPointerSafety.com news and updates on the Frank Newton Anderson case:
  • Original news item about the April 13 2010 incident is here.
  • December 23 2010 update on guilty plea is here.
  • January 21 2011 update on a possible 10-year sentence for firing a gun at an Orlando sheriff’s helicopter vs. a possible 20-year sentence for Anderson aiming a laser at an Orlando sheriff’s helicopter is here.
  • June 4 2011 update on judge withdrawing from Anderson’s case because prosecutors would not drop felony charge is here. (Judge: Anderson is “an idiot, not a criminal”)
  • September 16 2011 update here quoting the Orlando Sentinel as stating that Anderson was sentenced in July 2011 to one year’s probation and a $4000 fine.

US: UPDATED - 5 years probation for Florida man

Mark Clay Hazlitt, 59, of Lakeland Florida was sentenced on June 2 2011 to five years probation on federal charges of interfering with the operation of a Polk County Sheriff’s Department helicopter.


Five years probation

The judge ruled that Hazlitt’s laser pointer was not a “dangerous weapon” under the circumstances of the case. This finding helped reduce the severity of Hazlitt’s sentence. He could have received up to 20 years in prison for the November 21 2010 green laser pointer illumination, which occurred because he was “tired of hearing” the helicopter.

According to The Ledger, Hazlitt said at the sentencing that “his actions last year [were] the result of ‘very bad judgment.’” He has started a website, laserawareness.us, in order to apologize and to publicize the hazards and potential penalties of laser pointer misuse.

LaserPointerSafety.com carried a story about the original Lakeland laser incident here.

From
NewsChief.com and The Ledger

US: "Not the brightest guy" arrested in Fort Myers FL

A Fort Myers (Florida) man described by neighbors as “not the brightest guy” was arrested May 11 2011 for illuminating a Lee County Sheriff’s Office helicopter “several times” with a laser beam.

According to one news account, “the pilots’ night vision goggles went white and temporarily blinded them .... the deputies suffered irritation to their eyes.” According to another story, a deputy was hit in the eye with the laser beam. (It is not clear from the various news sources whether one or both deputies were wearing night vision goggles, and whether these were removed at some point during the event.)

Ground units were called to the location. A neighbor who saw the helicopter illuminating a house, and who saw multiple sheriff’s office cars speeding towards the house, looked outside and saw a green light: “I seen the laser flying around and we didn’t know what it was.” Officers found 29-year-old Michael Wayne Smith outside the house, “pointing an LED flashlight throughout the yard.” He was arrested and later charged with Public Order Crimes -- Pointing a Laser Light at a Pilot.


Michael Wayne Smith (Photo from Lee County Sheriff’s Office)

From WINK News, the Marco Eagle and ABC-7.com

US: Florida man pleads guilty to helicopter illumination

Mark Clay Hazlett pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with the operation of an aircraft. He could receive up to 20 years in prison. The charge stems from a Nov. 21 2010 incident when Hazlett aimed a green laser pointer at a police helicopter. The crew was forced to break off their search in order to deal with the laser illuminations. (More on the original incident is here.)

Hazlett will be sentenced at a later date.

From
The Ledger

UPDATE, JUNE 2 2011: Hazlitt was sentenced to five years probation on the federal charge. He said the incident was “very bad judgment.” Update from The Ledger.

US: Fla. man accepts plea; did not think laser could reach aircraft

A 34-year-old Florida man pleaded guilty to one count of pointing a laser light at a driver or pilot, a third-degree felony. He avoided up to five years of prison and instead received one year probation, 140 hours of community service, and agreed not to possess a laser pointer.

Michael Anthony Fowler
One year probation, 140 hours of community service --- and cannot own a laser pointer

Michael Anthony Fowler of Silver Springs Shores was arrested Dec. 2 2010 after a “bluish laser light” illuminated a Marion County Sheriff’s Office helicopter. Ocala.com quoted him as saying “I didn’t even think the laser pointer could reach that far.” Fowler told the news site that he was the second person in Florida history to be charged with that offense, after Frank Newton Anderson.

From Ocala.com and Gainesville.com

US: Firing gun at helicopter: 10 years; using lasers: 3-20 years

In the past few years, a number of persons have been convicted of illuminating pilots of aircraft, often police helicopters. LaserPointerSafety.com has a partial list here. In the U.S., the average sentence seems to be about 3 years. Some persons may wonder how lasers are treated compared with guns.

In Orlando, two similar cases in the same jurisdiction provide one point of comparison.

Jason Dennis McGuire was convicted Jan 21 2011 of firing a handgun at an Orange County Sheriff’s Office helicopter in March 2010. According to the Orlando Sentinel, Jason Dennis McGuire “faces a minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison”. He will be sentenced in April 2011.

In a parallel case, the Sentinel notes that another Orlando man, Frank Newton Anderson, “faces up to 20 years in prison for interfering with the operation of an aircraft” by shining a laser at an Orange County Sheriff’s Office helicopter in April 2010. Anderson pleaded guilty on January 20 2011 to one count of interfering with an aircraft, Anderson also will be sentenced in April 2011. This case was previously reported here at LaserPointerSafety.com.

From the Orlando Sentinel and a Tampa FBI press release

GUN UPDATE: On April 26 2011, Jason Dennis McGuire was sentenced to 12.5 years in prison for firing a handgun at a sheriff’s helicopter, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The charges were “attempted destruction of an aircraft, possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony, and ... using a firearm during a violent crime.” A press release from the U.S. Department of Justice is here.

LASER UPDATE: In July 2011, Frank Newton Anderson was sentenced to one year probation and a $4000 fine for interfering with the operation of an aircraft, according to the Orlando Sentinel. In addition, it appears this is a felony conviction which will prevent Anderson from working in his field of security. At the time of his arrest, he owned Viking Protective Group of Winter Park, Florida.

LaserPointerSafety.com news and updates on the Frank Newton Anderson case:
  • Original news item about the April 13 2010 incident is here.
  • December 23 2010 update on guilty plea is here.
  • January 21 2011 update on a possible 10-year sentence for firing a gun at an Orlando sheriff’s helicopter vs. a possible 20-year sentence for Anderson aiming a laser at an Orlando sheriff’s helicopter is here.
  • June 4 2011 update on judge withdrawing from Anderson’s case because prosecutors would not drop felony charge is here. (Judge: Anderson is “an idiot, not a criminal”)
  • September 16 2011 update here quoting the Orlando Sentinel as stating that Anderson was sentenced in July 2011 to one year’s probation and a $4000 fine.

US: UPDATED - Helicopter pilots injured in Florida laser incident

Two teenagers were arrested for shining green laser light at a Collier County (Florida) sheriff’s office helicopter at about 1 am on New Year’s Day. After landing, the two pilots “realized they both had ruptured blood vessels in their left eyes” and went to a hospital for treatment.

19-year old Hidalgo Moreno and 17-year-old Nicholas Ramos were arrested in North Naples and were charged with “pointing a laser light at a vehicle or aircraft operator causing injury” a Florida felony with up to a five-year prison sentence, according to the Naples Daily News. The teens told deputies “they didn’t realize it was not legal to point a laser at the helicopter and they were just playing with it.”Click to read more...

US: Up to 20 years in prison possible in Orlando helicopter incident

A 43-year-old man has admitted guilt in an April 13 2010 incident when he hit a Sheriff’s Office helicopter two times as it flew over Orlando. The pilot “lost temporary sight of the aircraft’s instrumentation and horizon.” Frank Newton Anderson can face up to 20 years in federal prison for one count of interfering with the operation of an aircraft. He will enter his guilty plea before a judge on January 19 2011.

From the Orlando Sentinel

LaserPointerSafety.com news and updates on the Frank Newton Anderson case:
  • Original news item about the April 13 2010 incident is here.
  • December 23 2010 update on guilty plea is here.
  • January 21 2011 update on a possible 10-year sentence for firing a gun at an Orlando sheriff’s helicopter vs. a possible 20-year sentence for Anderson aiming a laser at an Orlando sheriff’s helicopter is here.
  • June 4 2011 update on judge withdrawing from Anderson’s case because prosecutors would not drop felony charge is here. (Judge: Anderson is “an idiot, not a criminal”)
  • September 16 2011 update here quoting the Orlando Sentinel as stating that Anderson was sentenced in July 2011 to one year’s probation and a $4000 fine.

US: Florida man annoyed at copter shines laser; arrested

A 58-year-old deliberately targeted a Polk County Sheriff’s Office helicopter on Sunday Nov. 21 because he was “tired of hearing it”. The aircraft had been searching for a suicidal suspect. They were forced to break off the search due to the “intense light that disoriented the pilot and a flight observer. It also interfered with night-vision equipment.” The pilot had to leave the area to readjust cockpit equipment, forcing additional units to be allocated to find the suicidal subject.

Mark Clay Hazlitt was arrested and charged under Florida law with Misuse of Laser Lighting Device, a third-degree felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison.

Sheriff Grady Judd said “Mr. Hazlitt deliberately interfered with a search in which deputies were trying to locate a man who said he was going to take his life. The laser used was strong enough to disrupt night vision devices thus creating a very real danger to our air unit crew. He deliberately placed the lives of our pilot and flight observer in jeopardy, as well as those on the ground had the helicopter crashed. Hazlitt's behavior was reckless and his actions felonious. We will not tolerate anyone placing the lives of our deputies or residents in danger."

The suicidal subject was later located and was placed in protective custody.

From the Orlando Sentinel via
Sun-Sentinel.com
Thanks to Tony Zmorenski for bringing this to our attention.

UPDATE #1, MARCH 18 2011: In January 2011, a grand jury indicted Hazlitt on a more serious U.S. federal charge of interfering with the operation of an aircraft. The penalty can be up to 20 years in prison. On March 18 2011, Hazlitt pleaded guilty to this federal charge. Sentencing was scheduled for later. Update from The Ledger

UPDATE #2, JUNE 2 2011: Hazlitt was sentenced to five years probation on the federal charge. The judge said the laser pointer was not a “dangerous weapon”. Hazlitt said the incident was “very bad judgment,” and has started a website, laserawareness.us, to publicize the dangers of pointer misuse. Update #2 from The Ledger.

US: Orlando man faces felony charges

42-year-old Frank Newton Anderson was arrested on Tuesday, April 13 for pointing a laser at an Orange County (FL) sheriff’s helicopter. Anderson faces felony charges and as of April 14 remains in jail on no bond.

Frank Newton Anderson
Frank Newton Anderson

The pilot, Kevin Poston, was patrolling over Orlando when he saw a lighting-like flash. “Almost initially I thought maybe we had hit something”, he was quoted as saying. Spotter Patrick Deans, in the back of the helicopter, said “it was like a green flash right in front of my face, startling.” He saw a vehicle on the ground, in a parking lot. Then the vehicle started to flee, giving Anderson away. He stopped in another parking lot to hide. When ground units directed by the helicopter confronted him, Anderson said the laser (found 100 feet from his vehicle) was not his. However, the laser’s packaging was found in his vehicle.

Anderson appears to be the owner of a Winter Park, Florida security company, Viking Protective Group. When arrested, he was wearing a shirt with “Security” printed on it, and in his vehicle were handcuffs, a mask, camouflage paint, knives, and a Glock gun. He was also ticketed for having an expired license tag.

WFTV reporter Kathi Belich, in reporting the story, said “I hate to use a bad pun, but on so many levels he’s not too bright.”

From
WFTV News. The website includes a video from WFTV’s Kathi Belich

LaserPointerSafety.com news and updates on the Frank Newton Anderson case:

  • Original news item about the April 13 2010 incident is here.
  • December 23 2010 update on guilty plea is here.
  • January 21 2011 update on a possible 10-year sentence for firing a gun at an Orlando sheriff’s helicopter vs. a possible 20-year sentence for Anderson aiming a laser at an Orlando sheriff’s helicopter is here.
  • June 4 2011 update on judge withdrawing from Anderson’s case because prosecutors would not drop felony charge is here. (Judge: Anderson is “an idiot, not a criminal”)
  • September 16 2011 update here quoting the Orlando Sentinel as stating that Anderson was sentenced in July 2011 to one year’s probation and a $4000 fine.

US: Teen arrested for "shooing" helicopter with laser pointer

An 18-year-old tried to “shoo away” a Sheriff’s Office helicopter with a 6-inch-long “high powered” laser pointer, because the noise was keeping him awake. Deputies soon arrived at Beau Richard Wallace’s home in Palm Harbor, Florida. They arrested him on a felony charge of misusing a laser lighting device, which is punishable by up to five years in prison.

Wallace said he was “just being stupid” and that he had owned the green laser pointer for only a week before the Dec. 17 incident.

From the St. Petersburg Times

US: Arrest for hitting Orlando sheriff's helicopter

19-year-old Rodrigo Azevedo was arrested in a tourist area of Orlando, for shining a laser at an Orange County (FL) sheriff’s helicopter. The charge is a third-degree felony.

It happened early in the morning of January 28 2010, near International Drive and Interstate 4. The pilot was forced to break away from a law enforcement call, to avoid the “potentially blinding light”. An observer in the helicopter was able to track the laser to a “carload of young men” traveling on I-4. Other law enforcement officers stopped the car and arrested Azevedo.

News reports state “this is the fourth case of this type of crime in recent months. Last month [Dec. 2009] the Direct TV blimp was lasered on its final approach to Orlando Executive Airport after covering the Champs Bowl game in Orlando.”

From WESH.com

US: Sheriffs raid home to seach for laser pointers

Contending with a nationwide surge in the number of laser incidents disrupting the piloted skies, the Sheriff's Office and the FBI came down hard on 22-year-old Thomas Kiefer and his family. After identifying the house on Dillman Road west of West Palm Beach, they arrived with a search warrant and assault rifles that the family says were pointed at them as agents tossed through drawers and closets in search of lasers. They confiscated 10 lasers.

Kiefer, 22, spent the night in jail and faces a third-degree felony.

Kiefer and his parents, Thomas and Kathleen, were taken by surprise. They said they weren't given a chance to read the search warrant and were forced outside as agents searched the house, threw their belongings on the floor and kicked in the door to Kiefer's room, while his mother stood out back shouting, "Don't break the door down, I have the key."Click to read more...