SPOKANE, Wash. – A Spokane County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) Regional Air Support Unit flight crew reported being hit by a green laser during a routine patrol on August 1, leading to a felony charge.
SCSO said in a press release that the Air 1 flight crew was flying near N. Nevada Street and E. Lincoln Road when an intense green laser lit up the helicopter cockpit. They used their onboard camera to trace the laser back to a home on N. Lidgerwood Street, the release said.
Deputies were guided to the location by the flight crew, where they identified a 68-year-old man as the suspect. They said he denied targeting the helicopter but later admitted to owning and using the laser pointer. He voluntarily showed deputies the laser, which matched the description given by the Air 1 crew, the release added.
The man was arrested for violating Washington State Law regarding the unlawful discharge of a laser in the first degree, a felony.
He was taken to Spokane County Jail and later released on a $20,000 bond, SCSO said.
SCSO emphasized the severe dangers of pointing lasers at aircraft, which can distract or blind pilots and potentially cause permanent injury, posing a threat to the safety of the aircraft, its crew and those on the ground.
Nonstop Local typically does not name suspects until they are formally charged.
