In what police describe as a road rage incident, a driver on Interstate 93 in Sanbornton, New Hampshire pointed a handgun with a laser sight at another driver. 48-year-old John Spyros Privolos, a Massachusetts resident, was arrested in the December 29 2011 incident. A handgun with a grip-activated laser sight was found in Privolos’ possession.

Charged with driving without a valid license, and criminal threatening

From WMUR TV

Tags: US, New Hampshire, Assault, Motorist, Car, Harassment, Road rage, Age: 40-49, Sex: Male, Gun, Photo

The Scarsdale (New York) police department received a call from two residents reporting that a man dressed in black shined a red laser into their home. Police units investigated but could find no sign of the man or the laser pointer.

From Scarsdale Patch

Note from LaserPointerSafety.com: We monitor news reports of laser misuse. One reason for this is to try to get an idea of the relative rate of events such as harassment of the public and of sports figures, aiming at automobiles, aiming at airplanes, etc. We see relatively few reports such as the one above, but have listed it as part of this coverage.
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Tags: US, New York state, Home, Harassment, Unknown perpetrator, Sex: Male, Color: Red

On Christmas Eve 2011, an apparently intoxicated man repeatedly aimed a green laser pointer at a police officer sitting in his parked patrol car at the Southington (Connecticut) fire department headquarters. The officer initially thought the green light was from a traffic signal changing. He then saw a green dot on the windshield and realized it was from a laser pointer across the street. Backup was called in, and 35-year-old Kevin R. King was identified as the perpetrator.

King said he was “kidding around” while demonstrating the laser to friends. He was given a $75 ticket for shining a laser pointer to harass or alarm. A court date of January 13 was set for Bristol Superior Court.

From MyRecordJournal.com and Southington Patch

Tags: US, Connecticut, Police, Harassment, Motorist, Car, Age: 30-39, Sex: Male, Color: Green

A laser hobbyist was injured by a 1 watt 445 nanometer (blue) laser on December 6 2011. The injury required unspecified surgery, possibly removal of intraocular blood via needle. Two days after the surgery, the hobbyist reported a blurry dark circle in his central vision. His doctor told him he would always have a small off-center blind spot, and that his brain would “auto-correct” to fill in the spot.

(UPDATE March 14 2012: The hobbyist reported “I still have the blind spot, and was effectively told by the ophthalmologist that it would probably be there the rest of my life. That doesn't bother me TOO much, since it isn't very inhibiting.”)
.Click to read more...

Tags: Hobbyist, Eye injury - self-inflicted, Color: Blue, Age: Unknown, Sex: Male, Class: 4, Photo

Three male teenagers were arrested for shining a laser into a driver’s eyes, then firing gunshots into the car. News reports did not say whether the laser was a sight on the weapon, or whether it was a separate device.

The incident occurred December 13 2011 in Beenleigh, about 35 km south of Brisbane, Queensland. The targeted driver was not injured but the rear window of the car was shattered.

An 18-year-old faces fifteen charges, a 16-year-old faces five charges, and a 15-year-old faces sixteen charges. A press account from Nine News listing some of the charges did not list any that were laser-specific.

From Nine News

Tags: Australia, Queensland, Car, Motorist, Gun, Age: 10-19, Sex: Male

Two teenagers in a vehicle were arrested December 2 2011 for aiming a green laser pointer at cars in Myerstown, Pennsylvania (about midway between Harrisburg and Reading). Police were called to the scene by motorists; the responding state police trooper was hit in the eyes by the teens. Nicolo P. Vivona, 19, and William E. Eckart III, 18, were charged with recklessly endangering another person, harassment, and disorderly conduct.

From ABC27 and Reading Eagle

Tags: US, Pennsylvania, Car, Motorist, Harassment, Age: 10-19, Sex: Male, Color: Green

Real Madrid football (soccer) star Cristiano Ronaldo said he feels “persecuted” by fans of rival football clubs. He has been repeatedly targeted by laser pointers; most recently in Bosnia where he was hit multiple times during a practice on November 11 2011. He used an obscene gesture at the fans in return but was criticized in the media.

"Everyone is speaking badly of me, but why don't people criticize the lasers that were being aimed into my eyes?” Ronaldo said at a press conference. He intends to ask the Union of European Football Associations to take action to ban laser pointers from stadiums.

From Bettor.com, ESPN, and Yahoo!Sports

Tags: World, Football, Sports, Laser lout, Assault, Harassment, Photo

A group of youths aimed a laser pen at motorists in Limavady, near Derry, on November 8 2011. A bus driver “averted his gaze and managed to avoid damage to his eyes.” Another man hit said “my car had a green laser aimed at it, but thankfully the laser reflected off the body work. It did, however, still alter the clarity of vision so I can appreciate how extremely dangerous a laser aimed at drivers could be.”

Police are searching for the perpetrators.

From the Derry Journal

Tags: Northern Ireland, Motorist, Bus, Car, Color: Green

Someone attending a rock concert aimed a green laser pointer at a person a few feet away, who “looked away as quickly as he could”. The exposure was estimated to be no longer than a second. The person, a 23-year-old male, had a black afterimage which faded after “seconds to minutes.” However he was left with a 2 to 3 millimeter gray hazy spot in his left eye, which was a “constant annoyance.”

He was examined two days later at the Wills Eye Institute in Philadelphia. While slit-scan examination of the left eye showed no abnormalities, on an Amsler grid exam the patient drew a 2 mm circular spot. A fundus photograph showed a circular lesion in the fovea (magnified on the right):

Two weeks later the patient said there was some improvement in his vision. Fundus photography showed the lesion was smaller and less prominent; this was corroborated by optical coherence tomography (OCT).

The patient’s vision was expected to continue to improve over time.

From “Wills Eye Resident Case Series”, Jared D. Peterson, M.D. in the Review of Ophthalmology, November 7 2011. Introduction to case here; details of diagnosis, and discussion of eye injuries and treatment here.

Tags: US, Age: 20-29, Color: Green, Photo, Laser lout, Scientific study or journal

Daniel P. McBride, 32, of Cosmopolis, Washington, was sentenced on October 24 2011 to 90 days in jail for second-degree unlawful discharge of a blue 1-watt Wicked Lasers Spyder III Arctic laser. The incident happened in January 2011 during a traffic stop in Montesano. McBride had also been charged with assaulting an officer; that charge was dropped in a plea bargain agreement.

As part of the sentence, the judge ordered that McBride continue mental therapy even after he completes his sentence.

Original story from KXRO Newsradio. Remainder of story pieced together from searching “laser” at the Daily World paid website.
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Tags: US, Washington state, Police, Car, Motorist, Age: 30-39, Sex: Male, Color: Blue, Wicked Lasers

A green laser was aimed at a train driver near Gainsborough railway station on October 14 2011. It came from a housing development near Marshalls Rise, just outside the station. The driver was distracted by the laser light, and subsequent trains were placed on caution which caused delays.

Officers searched for suspects but did not find anyone. British Transport Police warn the public against misuse of laser pens.

From Rail.co

Tags: UK, Gainsborough, Train, Harassment, Laser lout, Color: Green, Unknown perpetrator

A bus driver was left with “stinging eyes” after teenagers aimed a laser at him on October 11 2011. The driver declined hospital treatment.

Police are trying to track down the person(s) in Shotton Colliery, south of Newcastle Upon Tyne, who shined a laser on the 24 Arriva bus service to Peterlee. In addition to the laser attack, there have been other reports of misbehavior in the area from youths in East Durham Homes council accommodations.

From the Sunderland Echo

Tags: UK, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Age: 10-19, Bus, Harassment, Laser lout, Unknown perpetrator

A 12-year-old male was charged with felonious assault, for shining a laser pointer into the eye of a 13-year-old female classmate at Monticello Middle School in Cleveland Heights, Ohio.

The girl did not immediately report the October 5 2011 incident, but waited until after she had pain in her eye and blurred vision. Her parents took her to the hospital and then to an eye specialist. They reported the incident to police on October 11. As of October 12, she still had blurred vision; the status of her eye is unknown.

From Cleveland.com

Tags: US, Ohio, Cleveland, Assault, School, Age: 10-19, Sex: Male

A German football (soccer) player was flashed by a laser pointer from the stands, before taking a penalty kick. Striker Mario Gomez missed the shot, but later said “The laser pointer was there but it wasn’t the reason. I don’t have to look for excuses.”

The Champions League game was played October 18 2011 in Naples, between Bayern Munich and Napoli. Others on the Munich team had different opinions. Sports director Christian Nerlinger said “Laser points are not acceptable. It is a major disturbance and an impossible thing to do,” while midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger said “Of course it is guess [sic] but I think there is little you can do about it.”

From Monsters and Critics

Tags: Italy, Germany, Football, Sports, Laser lout

Michael Coats, 48, was arrested October 10 2011 after he lased a sheriff’s deputy with the red dot from a laser-sighted .45 semi-automatic pistol. Coats said he aimed the laser and gun because the lights from the patrol vehicle were disturbing him. He was charged with menacing, reckless endangerment, unlawful use of a firearm, and pointing a weapon. The incident happened in Jefferson, Marion County, Oregon.

Michael Coats

From KVAL.com

Tags: US, Oregon, Police, Weapons, Gun, Age: 40-49, Sex: Male, Color: Red, Photo

Royal Canadian Mounted Police are looking for “a person in a motor vehicle who was shining a laser pointer into the eyes of drivers in approaching vehicles.” The incident happened on September 26 2011, in Comox Valley, British Columbia.

The RCMP said the person could be criminally charged if apprehended.

From Canada.com

Tags: Canada, British Columbia, Car, Motorist, Harassment

A 16-year-old student has been charged with third-degree assault and battery after he aimed a red laser beam into the eye of a police officer. The officer said he immediately felt pain and had blurred vision. The officer confiscated the laser. He “received only a minor injury and is OK.”

The officer had been speaking at Union High School in Union, S.C. on the topic of negative classroom behavior.

From WYFF4.com and GoUpstate.com

Tags: US, South Carolina, Police, Harassment, School, Age: 10-19, Color: Red

A green laser was aimed at motorists near Witney, 12 miles west of Oxford, at about the same time that a commercial aircraft reported a green laser as it flew over Witney. Police are searching for the persons involved in the incidents.

Police received several calls that a group of people in a silver people carrier was shining a green laser on the A40 near Witney, at about 8 p.m on September 15 2011. Police also were contacted by air traffic control staff after an aircraft was targeted with a green laser at 8 p.m. The police declined to release details of the flight or its effect, if any, on the flight until statements had been taken from the pilots and crew. The fine for aiming at aircraft is up to £2,500.

From the Witney Gazette. This news item is being cross-posted in on the News/Aviation incidents page as well.

Tags: UK, Oxfordshire, Car, Motorist, Airplane, Color: Green, Unknown perpetrator

A driver in a Perth suburb suffered damage to his left eye, after a green laser beam was aimed through his windshield on August 28 2011. Anthony Zuvela said “I couldn’t see out of my left eye and my eye was burning…it was a very frightening experience.” He went for tests which showed that no permanent damage was done, although he was to stay away from bright light: “All Sunday and half of Monday, I wasn’t allowed to drive or go outside. I had to stay indoors in darkness and had a patch on my left eye.” He said the pressure behind his eye and itchiness lasted for days.

As of September 15, police have not found the perpetrator. There was a crackdown in the state of Western Australia in 2009. It is illegal to “cause fear or alarm in a driver by directing a laser pointer at a vehicle.” The penalty can be up to seven years in jail and an AUS $36,000 fine.

From InMyCommunity.com

Tags: Australia, Western Australia, Perth, Car, Motorist, Unknown perpetrator

An 18-year-old teen from Brattleboro, Vermont was arrested at a concert for “using a laser pointer where prohibited” and possession of a controlled substance. The venue, Merriweather Post Pavilion in Howard County, Maryland, prohibits laser pointers among other devices (removable lens cameras, recording devices, weapons, baskets).

The unnamed teen was one of three persons arrested September 10 2011 at the Virgin Mobile FreeFest concert . The other two arrests were not laser-related.

From the Baltimore Sun and the Merriweather Post Pavilion FAQ

Note: LaserPointerSafety.com is listing this incident as part of our coverage of non-aviation laser misuse. Because we see relatively few reports of laser misuse in the press, we list even minor reports like this one, for completeness.

Tags: US, Maryland, Harassment, Age: 10-19

A train driver was temporarily blinded when someone flashed a laser pointer in his eyes. The driver stopped the train and went to the hospital. His eye condition is unknown.

The incident took place September 11 2011 at the Lausen train station, in the Swiss canton of Basel Country.

Police called for witnesses and issued a reminder that Class 3 and 4 laser pointers are considered dangerous by law. Sales of Class 3 and 4 lasers are illegal. Currently, owning or using them is not illegal, but a modification of the law is underway.

From World Radio Switzerland

Tags: Switzerland, Train, Unknown perpetrator

A brief report in the Ukiah, CA police log: “TEEN WITH LASER POINTER -- Caller at the corner of South State and Gobbi streets reported at 8:40 p.m. Saturday that two young girls were walking on East Gobbi Street and one had a laser pointer that she was pointing at passing cars.”

From the Ukiah Daily Journal

Note: LaserPointerSafety.com is listing this incident as part of our coverage of non-aviation laser misuse. Because we see relatively few reports of laser attacks on vehicles, we list even minor reports like this one, for completeness.

Tags: US, California, Motorist, Car, Unknown perpetrator, Sex: Female

A secret cable newly-revealed by WikiLeaks states that a U.S. survey ship was attacked for 30 minutes by a Chinese warship aiming a bright white narrow-beam light. The March 8 2008 incident took place in the East China Sea. According to the U.S. State Department cable, “the light was of such intensity that it temporarily impaired the visual acumen of USNS Victorious personnel and thereby constituted a hazard to navigation.”

Condoleeza Rice, Secretary of State at the time, sent the cable to the U.S. Embassy in Beijing. Rice said that China’s actions were “provocative and inconsistent” with the law of the sea” and “constitute serious harassment and elevate the risk of miscalculation.”

Washington Times reporter Bill Gertz, who broke the story, was unable to find out whether the light was a laser or a high-powered searchlight. Gertz also pointed to parallels with the 1997 suspected laser use by the Russian merchant ship Kapitan Man.

From the Washington Times

Analysis: Based on the color, LaserPointerSafety.com believes it is a conventional light. To produce a white light beam with lasers requires superimposition of three or more single-color lasers. This is more difficult than using a single-color laser, and would not provide any significant benefit in a situation such as the ship attack. (If countermeasure anti-laser goggles are being used, then it may be beneficial to use multiple wavelengths. It is more difficult to defend against multiple wavelengths, and doing so would reduce conventional visibility since red, green and blue light would all be blocked. Even here, balancing the wavelengths to produce a “white” light is not necessary.)

Tags: US, China, Assault, Harassment, Ship, Weapons, Blinding weapons

An 11-year-old New Zealand boy has lost sharpness in his right eye, after playing with a 200 mW laser in his bedroom. The beam reflected from a mirror back into his eye, causing what the boy described as a “fuzzy blob”. Retinal specialist Dr. Dianne Sharp says the boy has a 1.5mm retinal scar that has “slightly compromised” his vision in the right eye by “reducing the reading level on the eye-testing chart by three print sizes.” His overall vision was not greatly affected, according to Dr. Sharp.

Dr. Sharp and the boy’s mother both called for restrictions on laser pointers in New Zealand. The boy’s laser was purchased in Thailand for $15 while on a family holiday in January 2011. The date of the laser injury is not known.Click to read more...

Tags: New Zealand, Eye injury - self-inflicted, Thailand, Age: 10-19, Sex: Male

A 41-year-old North Philadelphia man was arrested July 2 2011, after aiming a laser pointer at a passing police officer in a squad car. The officer was on a backup call in the Fairhill area when he saw a “blinding light” that “caused him to slam on the brakes.” Francisco Gonzalez-Rosado was arrested and charged with aggravated assault.

From Philly.com

Tags: US, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Car, Motorist, Police, Age: 40-49, Sex: Male

A 10-year-old Swedish boy aimed a green laser pointer at a security guard who was driving down the road. The guard was “momentarily stunned” and suffered tears and pain in his eye. The boy was found at a nearby apartment building. He could have faced aggravated assault charges, but no charges were brought due to his young age. The boy was handed over to social services.

The laser pointer had been bought during a trip outside of the country. Swedish law prohibits sale of pointers in stores, and their possession in a public place requires a permit.

The incident happened in Borås, at about 1 am on July 30 2011. News reports did not say if the guard was working for the apartment complex, or if he was a passerby who happened to be driving past the apartments.

From The Local

Tags: Sweden, Assault, Age: 10-19, Sex: Male

A goalie for Singapore was lased during a World Cup qualifying match with Malaysia held in Kuala Lumpur, July 28 2011.

A still from the video (below) shows a laser being used to disrupt goalkeeper Izwan Mahbud

This is at least the third time that Malasysian fans have lased opponents. On December 26 2010, an AFF Cup finals match with Indonesia was delayed eight minutes after a laser was aimed on Indonesia’s goalkeeper Markus Harison. Indonesia’s president became involved after the game. News reports at the time said there was also a previous incident in a game with Vietnam.

From Guyism and YouTube

Tags: Malaysia, Singapore, Laser lout, Harassment, Football, Sports, Video, Photo

A 19-year-old British citizen, on holiday in Greece, was stabbed and killed by a taxi driver angry after the teen and his friends aimed lasers at the driver.

Robert Sebbage and his friends had been shining lasers at taxis waiting in line outside a nightclub. The teens were rushed by two angry taxi drivers, brandishing a knife and a baseball bat. Sebbage was killed; Jordan Manson, 18, was taken to a hospital where he was operated on for stab wounds to the chest and neck. Three other teens were also taken to the hospital, with less serious injuries.

Taxi driver Stelios Morfis, 21, was charged with premeditated murder. A second driver was also arrested as an accomplice.

The stabbing happened in a resort town, Laganas, located on the Greek island of Zakynthos (Zante). The Telegraph noted that “in Laganas, the antics of young British tourists on ‘non-stop party’ holiday packages have provoked growing criticism from the Greek authorities and local residents.”

From The Telegraph. Thanks to Dr. Phil Tyley, Laser Safety Advisor, Senior Scientist, QinetiQ for bringing this to our attention.

UPDATE July 18 2011: Jordan Manson’s parents describe the attack to The Mirror.

Tags: Greece, Zakynthos, Stabbed, Killed, Harassment, Age: 10-19, Sex: Male, Car, Motorist

A man was arrested July 3 2011 for aiming a laser pointer at the feet of six police officers in Prescott, Arizona. When confronted, the man gave his laser to an officer. The officer told the man that aiming a laser at law enforcement officers was a crime; the man replied that he did not do it intentionally. As the officer walked away, the man yelled profanities.

The case has been referred to the city prosecutor to see if charges will be brought.

From the Daily Courier

Tags: US, Arizona, Prescott, Police, Harassment, Age: Unknown, Sex: Male

Note: The following abstract describes a retinal injury from momentary exposure to a Class 3B (between 5 and 500 milliwatts) green laser pointer. The paper itself is behind a paywall; the abstract is for those who may wish to buy the paper to obtain further details.

“In previously reported cases of retinal injury from red (He–Ne; 632 nm) laser pointers, the maximum output was 5 mW or lower (Class 3a), and gazing time was 10 s or longer. Higher-energy, green (532 nm) laser pointers are increasingly displacing red lasers and, here also, injuries have been reported. We report a case of retinal light damage caused, after a moment's gaze, by a high-output (Class 3b) green laser pointer unavailable to the general public in Japan that was brought from overseas.”

From “A case of retinal light damage by green laser pointer (Class 3b)”, Ueda, T., Kurihara, I. & Koide, R. Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology, July 2011, Vol. 55, Issue 4, pp 428-430, (2011) 55: 428. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-011-0031-5 First online July 1 2011.

Tags: Japan, Color: Green, Scientific study or journal

A 16-year-old boy was arrested by police officers in a Sydney suburb after a laser beam was aimed onto the road near their vehicle. When apprehended, the teen was holding a laser pointer, and another pointer was in his pocket. Later at the Maroubra Police Station, he told investigators that he had a third pointer at his home.

He was released without charge pending further inquiries.

From a NSW Police Force press release

Tags: Australia, NSW, Sydney, Car, Police, Motorist, Age: 10-19, Sex: Male

Greek protesters used laser pointers extensively during peaceful demonstrations against fiscal austerity measures, in June 2011 at the Parliament building in Athens.

A view of the crowd (AP via Yahoo News)


Laser pointers were aimed at the police (DPA via Spiegel)


Green and red pointers were also aimed at the Parliament building, where the dots from red pointers spelled the Greek word for “thieves.” (DPA via Spiegel)

Tags: Greece, Protester, Police, Photo

An ambulance driver said he suffered a retinal burn from a laser attack. On June 11 2011, John Corr was driving in Belfast, taking a patient to a hospital. A car pulled alongside and aimed a laser at the ambulance, hitting Corr in the eye. He was temporarily blinded, so his colleague took over the driving. Corr later went to a specialist eye clinic at Royal Victoria Hospital where he was told he had a burn to his retina.

Corr characterized the incident as an assault, and said there should be a specific law to protect ambulance staff. The perpetrator has not been found.

From the Belfast Telegraph

Tags: Northern Ireland, Belfast, Car, Motorist, Assault

Residents of Ocean City, New Jersey are reporting increasing laser pointer harassment of ordinary citizens. This is in addition to multiple reports of aircraft being lased from the resort town. Officials have asked local merchants to stop selling laser pointers though voluntary compliance has been spotty. This has brought renewed attention to a state Senate bill that would prohibit the sale of laser pointers above 1 milliwatt.

Ocean City Patch said a “quick survey ... found repeated recent uses of laser beams to bother drivers, pets and pedestrians”. Persons interviewed gave anecdotes such as a laser being aimed from outside into a woman’s kitchen window, and a group of 20-year-olds who were lasing passersby including a man and his dog.

Because of aviation and other incidents last year, both police and the local Boardwalk Merchants’ Association (BMA) had asked stores to stop selling pointers. Some complied, or only sold lower-power red and yellow lasers. But since a few stores continued selling laser pointers, the competitive pressure caused others to resume sales. Ironically, one of the stores to resume sales was managed by the brother of the BMA’s president. The store listed the top selling items as being green laser pointers selling for $25 and $35. The manager said “he plans to continue selling them as long as they are legal to sell.”

To fix this, last November Ocean City’s state senator Jeff Van Drew introduced New Jersey Senate bill 2430, banning laser pointers above 1 milliwatt. This is five times less than the U.S. federal limit of 5 milliwatts as set by the Food and Drug Administration. S2430 is currently pending in the state Senate Commerce Committee.

From the Ocean City Patch.

Related LaserPointerSafety.com news stories about Ocean City and New Jersey laser troubles

• August 26 2010: Ocean City officials discuss city-wide ban on laser pointers after summer incidents.
• November 22 2010: State senate bill 2430 is introduced in November 2010 to ban laser pointers above 1 milliwatt.
• June 8 2011: Man buys laser in Ocean City, points it at helicopter, and is almost immediately arrested.
• June 11 2011: Residents report harassment; voluntary sales ban is not working.

• June 24 2011: Unanimous vote on the initial measure to ban Ocean City laser pointer sales and possession.
• July 14 2011: Unanimous vote on the “second reading” to make the Ocean City ban official.
• April 16 2013: North Wildwood NJ bans sale and possession of laser pointers above 1 mW.
• August 20 2013: New Jersey state legislature passes bill to ban laser pointer sales above 1 mW; sends bill to Governor for signature.
• October 17 2013: Governor Chris Christie vetoes bill to ban laser pointer sales, saying the 1 mW power limit was “arbitrary” and there was no criminal use of lasers between 1 mW and the federal limit of 5 mW in New Jersey.

Tags: US, New Jersey, Ocean City, Harassment, Home

An interesting photograph shows a Virginia Beach mounted policeman confiscating a gun-shaped laser pointer from an 18-year-old. The teenager had aimed the gun/pointer at the officer and his horse. After a lecture and confiscation, the youth was released.

The accompanying story is primarily about a crackdown on curfew violators. Only the photo and its caption mentions laser pointer violations. The full-sized photo can be seen at the Virginian-Pilot website.

From Pilot Online.com. More information on gun-shaped laser pointers and other incidents involving gun/pointers is here.

Tags: US, Virginia, Age: 10-19, Photo, Police

On June 2 2011, an Indiana motorist saw another driver aiming a green laser pointer at road signs and cars. He called police, who were able to locate and stop the vehicle. The driver, Jason David Clark, 32, ran and was tasered after jumping a fence. Inside the car, police found the laser pointer, suspected cocaine, and a pistol with blank cartridges.

Clark was arrested on a previous outstanding warrant, and now faces additional charges of cocaine possession and resisting arrest. It appears that no charges were brought against his laser pointing actions.

From the Post-Tribune (Gary, Indiana)

Tags: US, Indiana, Car, Motorist, Taser, Age: 30-39, Sex: Male

44-year-old Todd Manz pleaded guilty on May 20 2011 to lying to FBI agents about a drunken night of aiming 50 milliwatt handheld lasers at river barges, airplanes and a police helicopter. He was fined $5,000 and received 30 months probation. He could have received up to 2 1/2 years in prison.

Manz and two others, David Erminger, 28, and Matthew Mauck, 34, were arrested July 20 2010 in downtown Memphis, Tennessee. From news reports, it appears the most serious incident involved river barges. U.S. District Court Judge Jon McCalla told Manz “You’re pointing a laser at a tugboat with 40 barges and chemicals on it and you could sink the tow. You could kill people, take out the bridge... [The tugboat captains] thought they were being targeted by someone with a high-powered rifle.”

Erminger and Mauck have not yet been sentenced on charges of crimes of violence against maritime navigation and sabotage of aircraft. Government prosecutors will be recommending diversion, a more mild form of probation.

From the Memphis Commercial Appeal

UPDATE: On June 22 2011, Erminger and Mauck were placed on one-year diversion. The criminal charges against them will be erased as long as they stay out of trouble (no new charges) during the next year. From the Memphis Commercial Appeal.

Tags: US, Tennessee, Memphis, Age: 20-29, Age: 30-39, Age: 40-49, Sex: Male, Barge

27-year-old Ryan S. McManus was charged with reckless endangerment, after repeatedly pointing a green laser at another driver, who at one point “swerved out of his lane and had to pull to the side of the road to avoid crashing.” The harassed driver followed McManus and called 911.

The incident took place in the small town of Greece, New York, in Monroe County. McManus will appear in Greece Town Court on May 25.

From the Fairport - East Rochester Post and WHEC.com

Tags: US, New York state, Car, Motorist, Road rage, Age: 20-29, Sex: Male

Korean pop singer IU had a red laser aimed at her eyes during a concert. Stills taken from a video clearly show the light as it was waved across her eyes. Reportedly, “despite this, IU still managed to pull in her best effort and managed to finish her stage well.”



From Allkpop.com

Tags: Korea, IU, Concert, Harassment, Laser lout, Photo

An unknown person targeted “a number of drivers” who said they were blinded by a laser pointer in the southeast section of Melbourne on May 3 2011. A constable said “We are very fortunate that there wasn't a collision as a result of this foolish behaviour.” There was no information about whether the laser user was stationary or was also driving.

From the Sydney Morning Herald

Tags: Australia, Melbourne, Car, Motorist

A 29-year-old resident of Broken Hill, New South Wales, was arrested April 7 2011 after police found three laser pointers in a desk drawer in his home. He was charged with three counts of possession of a prohibited weapon, one count of advertising a prohibited weapon without stating that a permit was required, and one count of selling a prohibited weapon to an unauthorized buyer.

Police said that last December the man advertised a laser pointer for sale online, and sold it to a Sydney buyer in January. Inquiries then led to the April 7 arrest.

From the Cowra Community News

Tags: Australia, NSW, Age: 20-29, Sex: Male

A 53-year-old man was arrested March 18 2011 after shining a laser at an officer who was driving a patrol car. The officer “was taken to a hospital to be treated for temporary blindness”, according to police in Gilroy, California.

Guy Bassett aimed the laser out of his trailer at the Gilroy Garlic USA RV Park. He was charged with assault with a deadly weapon on a police officer, and with pointing a laser at an officer. He was also arrested on an unrelated misdemeanor charge of battery.

From the Gilroy Patch and KRON-TV

Tags: US, California, Gilroy, Police, Age: 50-59, Sex: Male, Assault, Car

San Antonio police arrested a man who had been illuminating drivers with a laser pointer on March 15 2011.

The man was signaled to pull over by a plainclothes officer. He sped up instead and led the officer on a short chase through downtown. He was charged with drug possession and aggravated assault of a public servant.

From KENS 5 TV

Tags: US, Texas, San Antonio, Car, Motorist, Drugs, Sex: Male

A passing motorist aimed a laser at a Sydney bus driver, temporarily blinding his right eye. He “was forced to brake heavily to avoid colliding with a concrete barrier.”

News reports said the driver was “in visible pain.” A photo showed the driver on his stopped bus, holding his eye. He told paramedics he had “disturbed vision”. He was taken to Sydney Hospital and was released the next day, March 12 2011.

Police are looking for the perpetrator.

From the Sunday Telegraph

Tags: Australia, NSW, Sydney, Bus, Motorist

On March 2 2011, a 33-year-old man from Marienborn was arrested for aiming a laser pointer at passing cars on the A60 motorway. A patrol car was hit and was able to determine the man’s location. According to a machine translation, “...the man had felt in the anonymity of the skyscrapers seem fully secure. He stated that he wanted to reduce his aggression in this way.” (“...der Mann in der Anonymität der Hochhäuser scheinbar völlig sicher gefühlt. Er gab an, dass er auf diese Weise seine Aggressionen abbauen wollte.”)

He told interrogators that others “have often been blinded in the same way.”

From Allgemeine Zeitung

Tags: Germany, Car, Age: 30-39, Sex: Male

A 37-year-old man was charged with inducing panic and aggravated trespassing, after being caught on Feb. 21 2011 aiming a green laser pointer at the windows of radio stations WTAM-AM and WMMS-FM near Cleveland Ohio. He had also aimed at the stations’ windows two weeks earlier but was not caught on that date.

In addition to the laser harassment, the man also had “littered the entrance” to the stations with pornographic photos on Feb. 8

From Cleveland.com

Tags: US, Ohio, Cleveland, Age: 30-39, Sex: Male, Harassment, Home

Riot police have a laser pointer aimed at them, during protests in Greece on Feb. 8 2011. Click to see full-size photo. (See also this News item from 2008 Greek riots.)



From MSNBC Photoblog

Tags: Greece, Protester, Police, Photo

A New South Wales man was charged with “possessing a laser pointer in a public place.” The incident started when police were called by motorists in Kempsey reporting laser lights. The area was searched; a 19-year-old man was found with a laser pointer, and was arrested. A court date of March 7 2011 was set.

From a New South Wales police force press release

Tags: Australia, NSW, Car, Age: 10-19, Sex: Male

On April 13, 2007, three moviegoers were “beaten and stabbed after they asked a group of males to stop disrupting a film with a laser pointer.” On Feb. 5 2011, one of the males was found guilty of assault causing bodily harm, and common assault. This follows a March 2010 guilty finding for another attacker.

A previous News item described the attack in more detail.

From the Ottawa Citizen

Tags: Canada, Ottawa, Movie, Assault, Stabbed, Injured, Laser lout, Sex: Male

A boy with intellectual disabilities “from the age of 2 to 3 years stared at [a green laser pointer] with his dominant right eye every day for more than 10 seconds at a time, as if it were a toy, at a distance of 30 cm [1 foot].”

At the age of 11, he had normal 20/20 (1.0) vision in the left eye, but 20/100 vision (0.20) in the right. Examination of the right eye showed a yellow lesion or fibrous tissue surrounded by a subretinal hemorrhage in the right macula. At age 13, examination showed the lesion was leaking on fluorescein angiography. At age 14, there was no change.

The doctors elected not to perform any treatment due to the patient’s age and mental condition.

From “Choroidal Neovascularization in a Child Following Laser Pointer-Induced Macular Injury”, Fujinami, K., Yokoi, T., Hiraoka, M. et al. Japanese Journal of Ophthalmology November 2010, Vol. 54, Issue 6, pp 631-633 (2010) 54: 631. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10384-010-0876-z First online January 21 2011.

Tags: Japan, Eye injury - self-inflicted, Age: 0-9, Age: 10-19, Sex: Male, Color: Green, Scientific study or journal