A comprehensive resource for safe and responsible laser use

US: 8 months for aiming at sheriff's helicopter

Gabriel Lopez Mathews, 27
Pinson, Alabama, US

On April 11 2020, a Jefferson County Sheriff's Office 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 on January 26 2021, pleaded guilty in April 2021 and was sentenced on September 15 2021 to eight months in prison.

From CBS42 and ABC3340 News

UK: 12 months for aiming at police helicopter (4 months suspended)

Trevor Cheeseman, 59
Burringham, North Lincolnshire, UK


Cheeseman was convicted after a "sustained laser attack" on a National Air Police Helicopter flying over Scunthorpe, North Lincolnshire on April 11 2020.

The helicopter crew directed Humberside Police to a location where Cheeseman was arrested. He pleaded not guilty in December 2020. In early March 2021, Cheeseman was given a 12 month sentence, suspended four months. He was convicted of shining a laser beam towards a person providing air services, causing the laser beam to dazzle or distract that person.

From GrimsbyLive. Although the story says the sentence was 12 months with four months suspended, the headline states "Man avoids prison…" The apparent discrepancy may be due to factors of British law or judicial terms.

Wales: 30 weeks for Swansea man who aimed laser at police helicopter

William Andrew David James Fellowes, 29
Swansea, Wales


William Andrew David James Fellowes laser Wales squashed

A 29-year-old man was sentenced on January 6 2021 to 30 weeks in prison for aiming a £9 laser pen at a police helicopter searching for a missing teenager in Swansea, Wales.

On September 2 2020, a National Police Air Service helicopter with a crew of three was searching for a missing female teen at about 2:40 am when it was hit by five or six "bright green, sharp lights" lasting 5-10 second each. The pilot was momentarily blinded and was disoriented; another crew member was dazzled. The crew abandoned the search due to the pilot's loss of vision.

Ground officers went to a location pinpointed by the helicopter's thermal imaging camera. They smelled marijuana and found William Andrew David James Fellowes with a laser pen. He later told police he had been pointing at stars and the pilot got in his way. He said he did not know the sky light was a helicopter and thought it was a bird, a satellite or a hot air balloon.

Fellowes pleaded guilty to directing a laser beam towards a moving police helicopter in violation of the Laser Misuse (Vehicles) Act of 2018.

More information at this LaserPointerSafety.com article

UK: 9 months in jail for 50-year-old Leeds man who aimed at police helicopter

David Gill, 50
Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK


On March 9 2019, a West Yorkshire Police helicopter was searching for a car that had eluded a police stop, when it was repeatedly illuminated by green laser light. The search was abandoned so the helicopter could locate the laser suspect.

Ground units arrested David Gill, 50, of Leeds.

At trial he pleaded not guilty, but was convicted by a jury of endangering the safety of an aircraft. He was sentenced May 12 2019 to nine months in prison.

From the Daily Mail

UK: Nine months in prison for Birmingham man whose laser stopped a missing persons search

Luke Soulsby, 27
Birmingham, UK


Around June 1 2018, Soulsby was sentenced in Birmingham Crown Court to nine months in prison. He pleaded guilty to endangering the safety of an aircraft.

In October 2017, Soulsby aimed a laser for about 15 minutes at a National Police Air Service helicopter flying over Rubery in the West Midlands. The crew was searching for a missing person but instead began seeking the location of the laser.

According to police, the pilot was at “significant risk” due to the the disorienting laser light.

In December 2017, NPAS purchased laser-reducing glasses which can enable pilots to continue even when illuminated by laser light.

From Police Oracle

Germany: Eight months for aiming laser at aircraft, police helicopter

Unnamed man, 49
Zossen, Brandenburg, Germany


A 49-year-old German man was sentenced May 31 2017 to eight months in prison for aiming a laser at a police helicopter.

In August 2016, several aircraft flying in or out of Berlin Schönefeld Airport reported glare from a laser beam A police helicopter was sent to investigate, and was also hit by laser light.

The unnamed perpetrator later said in court he had not been aiming at anything specific in the night sky, and that he did not see the helicopter.

He was sentenced in Zossen (Brandenburg) District Court; Zossen is about 20 miles south of Berlin.

From Spiegel Online in original German and in Google-translated English. Thanks to Alex Hennig for bringing this to our attention.

UK: Eight and six month sentences for two Leicester men

Martin Gary Jayes, 46, and Oktawain Kamil Plaskiewicz, 22
New Parks, Leicester, UK


On March 9 2016, the two men aimed the green beam of a laser pen at a police helicopter, forcing it to abort its mission to find a missing person. The helicopter pilot directed ground officers to a park where they found Jayes and Plaskiewicz. Each said the other was using the laser.

They pleaded guilty to charges of recklessly or negligently endangering the safety of an aircraft and those traveling within it.

On July 22 2016, Jayes was sentenced to eight months in jail, and Plaskiewicz was sentenced to six months. (Jayes previously had 71 convictions on his criminal record and was in breach of a community order at the time of his arrest.)

Scotland: One year in jail for aiming laser pen at police helicopter

Craig Ryan, 23
Stevenston, North Ayrshire, Scotland

Craig Ryan laser

In September 2014, a Police Scotland helicopter was illuminated several times with green laser light while looking for a gunman. The pilot had to take evasive action. The beam was tracked to Ryan’s home. Ryan told officers, “I’m sorry, it was me.”

In December 2015, Ryan admitted “culpable and reckless conduct.” He was sentenced to one year in jail.

From the Scotsman and BBC News

US: One year in jail plus three months probation for lasing plane, helicopters

Enrique Felix Gomez, 19
Gardenia, California, US


Gomez pleaded no contest September 14 2015 to aiming a high-powered green laser at an aircraft, and then at Los Angeles County fire and police helicopters on February 14 2015. Gomez, of Gardenia Calif., was sentenced November 2 2015 to one year in jail and three years probation.

From
MyNewsLA.com

US: One year in prison for aiming a laser at a California Highway Patrol airplane

Andrew Zarate, 20
Fresno, California, US


Zarate was sentenced November 3 2014 to one year in prison and two years of supervised release, for aiming a laser at a California Highway Patrol aircraft. He could have received five years and a $250,000 fine for illuminating Air 43 up to 50 times with a “powerful green laser pointer” according to the FBI.

During the incident, the pilot suffered temporary blindness and Air 43 was forced to break away from a burglary in progress at a Fresno middle school.

Zarate’s co-defendent, David Walter Fee, was sentenced in September 2014 to 18 months in prison.

US: 1 year in prison, 3 years probation

Robert Duane Nighswander, 44
Orland, California, US

On October 21 2009, Nighswander aimed a green laser at a California Highway Patrol helicopter at least four times. He was sentenced September 28 2010 for using a laser to interfere with an aircraft.

UK: 8 months in jail

Jarome Tomlinson, 21
Maidstone, Kent, UK
On June 24 2010, Tomlinson deliberately tracked a Kent and Essex police helicopter. The pilot had to take a hand off the controls in order to shield his eyes. Tomlinson was charged with recklessly or negligently acting in a way likely to endanger an aircraft. At sentencing on April 15 2011, the judge gave Tomlinson an 8-month jail term, as a deterrent to others.

US: Time served (7 months in jail) plus 1 year probation

Jeffrey Lee Gentry, 33
Bakersfield, California US
On November 6 2010, Gentry was arrested for aiming a laser four times at a Kern County Sheriff's Office helicopter. The pilot suffered temporary spots in his eyes, and was disoriented enough that the aircraft went off course. On January 9 2012, Gentry was sentenced to time served (he had been in jail seven months) and one year of probation.

Scotland: 9 months in jail

Christopher Paton, 22
Glasgow, Scotland
On September 12 2009, Paton repeatedly aimed his green laser at a police helicopter that was searching for two lost 4-year-olds. The crew filmed the location of the laser, enabling ground officers to easily find and arrest Paton. In April 2012, he was sentenced to nine months in jail for endangering the crew.

US: 1 year in jail and 2 years probation, partner gets 60 days community service and three years probation

Floyd Atkins, 22, and Alvarado Jimenez, 20
Los Angeles, California, US

On July 4 2011, Atkins and Jiminez were arrested on multiple charges for lasing a LAPD helicopter. They also were suspected of previous incidents of aiming at airlines landing at Los Angeles International Airport. On November 1 2012, Atkins was sentenced to one year in county jail, two years probation, and $200 in fines and fees. Jiminez was sentenced in September 2012 to 60 days of Caltrans service and three years probation.