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US: 8 months in prison for aiming laser at sheriff's helicopter

A 27-year-old Alabama man was sentenced to eight months in prison for aiming a laser pointer at a Jefferson County Sheriff's Office helicopter.

On April 11 2020, the helicopter was working on a mission to recover stolen weapons when it was illuminated by a laser "numerous" times. The laser strikes happened while flying below an approach path for the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport. Information from the crew eventually led to Gabriel Lopez Mathews.

He was indicted January 26 2021, pleaded guilty in April 2021 and was sentenced September 15 2021.

From CBS42 and ABC3340 News