- Florida deputies arrested two suspects for laser strikes on helicopters.
- Helicopter cameras captured both laser strikes and guided ground units.
- FAA data shows thousands of laser strikes are reported every single year.
There are plenty of dumb ways to break the law and even dumber ways to go to jail. Two folks in Florida just discovered that after pointing lasers at helicopters over the weekend. In both cases, police helicopters captured crystal clear video of the incidents and led ground units to the perpetrators. Now, both suspects are facing felony charges after individual arrests.
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High-Def Evidence
In Tampa, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office says its aviation unit was ‘struck’ several times by a laser on September 21. Using the aircraft’s high-powered camera, deputies guided ground units directly to the Avina apartment complex. There, they found 13-year-old Angel Lacen, the person they say is responsible. They arrested Lacen and charged him with misuse of a laser lighting device. In Florida, that’s a third-degree felony.
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A few days previously, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office dealt with an almost identical situation in Bradenton. Their Watch Unit reported a laser strike coming from a backyard as the helicopter circled overhead. Deputies zeroed in on the source, directing officers from the Bradenton PD and Florida Highway Patrol to the scene.
There, they arrested 39-year-old Tony Hill, who reportedly still had a pen-style green laser in his hand. Hill now faces the same charge as Lacen, which carries penalties of up to five years in prison.
Both departments released footage of the events in question, and it’s pretty impressive. In each case, the advanced camera systems onboard made identifying the exact laser location a cinch. Now, some of you might be saying, “What’s the big deal about a laser?” And I get it. It seems innocent enough. To date, the FAA has no record of any plane or helicopter crashes as a result of laser strikes. That’s despite over 18,000 reports of laser strikes on pilots in the last year and a half.
Not Just Harmless Light
That said, it does have evidence that laser strikes can blind pilots. In 2024, one pilot said that he only survived being temporarily injured by a laser because of his modern airplane instruments. He would later regain his sight entirely. Lasers might be fun to play with for all ages, but appropriate use is still a key factor. As the Manatee County authorities put it: “Shine a laser pointer at the Sheriff’s helicopter and expect to end up in jail.”
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Lead image Hillsborough Sheriff’s Office
#Florida #Teen #Aim #Laser #Helicopter
