70-Year-Old Florida Man Now Facing Felony Charge

A 70-year-old man from St. Petersburg, Florida is facing criminal charges after purposefully pointing a laser at a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office helicopter. In Florida, “knowingly and willfully” shining a laser pointer at an aircraft is a third-degree felony.

In a release, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office explained that the helicopter was providing aerial support for ground teams during a burglary call on December 5. Flight deputies then noticed a blue light being “pointed directly at the helicopter multiple times.”

The officers were able to pinpoint the man responsible while in the air. 70-year-old Harold Church Jr. was standing right outside of his house on 54th Avenue North. Ground crews were then directed to the location.

After being tracked down, Church allegedly immediately admitted to shining the blue laser. He was arrested on site and is now looking at a felony charge for misusing a laser lighting device charge.

"Per Florida State Statute, it is a third-degree felony for any person who knowingly and willfully shines, points, or focuses the beam of a laser lighting device on an individual operating a motor vehicle, vessel, or aircraft," stated the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. If the laser strike results in injury, it is bumped up to a second-degree. Federal charges and FAA fines are also on the table.

Despite the high punishment, the crime rate has only picked up in the last several years. 2023 hit a record 13,304 laser strikes on aircraft nationwide. Florida also logged the highest number of incidents in its history last year with 916 strikes. The most common cities were Miami and Tampa.

Unfortunately, locating and identifying a perpetrator isn’t an easy task. The US Government Accountability Office claimed that an offender is only able to be tracked down in around 1% of reported laser strikes.

FMI: www.pinellassheriff.gov