A 30-year-old Coeur d’Alene man faces aggravated assault charges after he aimed a laser at a Kootenai County Regional Air Support helicopter Friday night, disrupting the aircraft’s patrol, according to police.
Officers from the air support unit were on board the helicopter around 10:45 p.m. conducting a routine patrol when someone on the ground pointed a high-powered laser at the helicopter, according to a news release from the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office.
The pilot and two tactical flight officers were wearing night vision goggles to better navigate the controls and terrain, officials said. The laser was amplified by their devices, rendering their vision useless and causing the pilot to lose speed and altitude.
Using the helicopter’s forward-facing infrared camera, they located the suspect in a parking lot and sent patrol cars to his location, the press release said.
Coeur d’Alene police found the vehicle in which the suspect was last seen and identified him as a 30-year-old Coeur d’Alene resident. The man, whose identity was not released, was arrested on suspicion of three counts of aggravated assault and one count of disorderly conduct.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the FBI are currently investigating and may impose civil penalties and felony charges for pointing a laser at an aircraft, the sheriff’s office said.
