Woman points laser at police helicopter, diverting it from Texas shooting, feds say
A Texas woman was sentenced to prison after officials say she pointed a laser at a helicopter.
On Nov. 3, 2023, the 60-year-old woman “persistently” pointed a laser at a San Antonio Police Department helicopter, according to a Nov. 19 news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.
“The helicopter was forced to divert from investigating a shooting call due to (the woman’s) laser attack,” officials said.
The woman was arrested on Jan. 30 and charged with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft. She pleaded guilty Sept. 5 and was sentenced to three years in prison.
“Shooting lasers at aircraft is incredibly dangerous to the flight crew, passengers, and people on the ground,” U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza said in the release. “This type of illegal behavior risks damaging the pilots’ lives and vision and increases the chances of a crash.”
This story was originally published November 20, 2024 at 2:19 PM with the headline "Woman points laser at police helicopter, diverting it from Texas shooting, feds say."
