Matt Molnar
2006-08-01, 11:04 PM
Laser pointer hits NYPD helicopter
August 1, 2006
NEW YORK --A 19-year-old man was arrested after authorities said he shined a laser pointer at a police helicopter.
The bright green laser beamed into the cockpit late Monday night, temporarily blinding the officers, said Melissa Klein, an NYPD spokeswoman.
Police arrested Anthony Pepe a short time later, and charged him with reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon, Klein said.
In December, a Paterson, N.J., man was charged with shining a laser pointer into the cockpit of a hovering news helicopter.
Pedro Vega, 36, was charged with a variety of offenses, including interference with transportation and assault, after authorities said he beamed the laser pointer into the cockpit of a WNBC television helicopter.
And in November, David W. Banach, 39, of Parsippany, N.J., who had flashed a laser pointer at a commercial airplane, pleaded guilty to violating a section of the USA Patriot Act involving interfering with pilots of a passenger aircraft.
The crew aboard the charter flight from Boca Raton, Fla., said the laser temporarily blinded two pilots, and they could not see their flight instruments.
August 1, 2006
NEW YORK --A 19-year-old man was arrested after authorities said he shined a laser pointer at a police helicopter.
The bright green laser beamed into the cockpit late Monday night, temporarily blinding the officers, said Melissa Klein, an NYPD spokeswoman.
Police arrested Anthony Pepe a short time later, and charged him with reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon, Klein said.
In December, a Paterson, N.J., man was charged with shining a laser pointer into the cockpit of a hovering news helicopter.
Pedro Vega, 36, was charged with a variety of offenses, including interference with transportation and assault, after authorities said he beamed the laser pointer into the cockpit of a WNBC television helicopter.
And in November, David W. Banach, 39, of Parsippany, N.J., who had flashed a laser pointer at a commercial airplane, pleaded guilty to violating a section of the USA Patriot Act involving interfering with pilots of a passenger aircraft.
The crew aboard the charter flight from Boca Raton, Fla., said the laser temporarily blinded two pilots, and they could not see their flight instruments.