King County Man In Custody, Laser Recovered, Incident Referred To FAA

A man was arrested in King County, Washington, after pointing a green laser at a helicopter flown by the county Sheriff’s Office. The crew of the helicopter was flying over Auburn when it was struck repeatedly by the laser, and they reported the incident immediately to Auburn police dispatchers who notified a nearby patrol car.

The incident occurred in southeast Auburn at about 9:00 pm local, near 313 37th St. SE. Video shot from the helicopter showed a green laser illuminating the camera.

The officer onboard the Guardian One aircraft is heard saying to the dispatcher, "We're getting laser struck over your city. I've got the suspect in sight." The helicopter crew followed the suspect’s car as officers in the Auburn patrol car caught up to the vehicle and made a traffic stop.

An officer on the ground reported on the radio that he recovered a laser pointer from a passenger in the car.

Deputy Anthony Mullinax with the sheriff's 'Air Support Unit' was flying Guardian One when the strike occurred. He said, “It just seems to be a recurring problem that people can’t seem to stop intentionally pointing a laser at aircraft.”

He added, “It’s nice to be able to identify, get good evidence, and put a good case for the prosecutors to hold somebody accountable for this dangerous behavior.”

The incident has been reported to the FAA who will conduct their own investigation. The fine for just a first offense of pointing a laser at an aircraft is $11,000 and increases substantially for additional incidents.

FMI:  kingcounty.gov/ , www.faa.gov/