3 people arrested for shining lasers and an LED spotlight at an Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter
By: New video shows three people being arrested last week, accused of shining lasers and an LED spotlight at an Ohio State Highway Patrol helicopter, which is a federal offense.
The Federal Aviation Administration confirmed the pilot of an Airbus AS350 was hit with a green-and-blue laser while flying over Elyria the night of April 14th.
The three laser incidents happened within an hour of each other.
Troopers arrested the following:
Ray B. Woods, 61, of Wakeman
Jason R. McCloskey, 54, of Elyria
Louis F. Bernard, 42, of Elyria
In a statement, the FAA said they will investigate.
“Aiming a laser at an aircraft is a serious safety hazard that puts everyone on the plane and on the ground below at risk. It is also a violation of federal law,” said an FAA spokesperson.
Each faces a second-degree felony count of interfering with the operation of an aircraft. Preliminary hearings set for Monday, April 17, were continued.
Fines for shining lasers at an aircraft can get up to $11,000.
Pilots reported 9,500 laser strikes to the FAA last year, according to the agency,