Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough is reporting a laser strike of an Ohio Highway Patrol aviation unit in Bedford Township.
Around 1 a.m. Sunday, June 28, according to a news release from the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio Highway Patrol’s aviation unit was following a vehicle through Monroe County utilizing one of its helicopters. The vehicle was followed for an unrelated crime within the Ohio Patrol’s jurisdiction.
While flying over Bedford Township, according to the news release, the pilots reported a laser strike, which came from the 200 block of West Dean Road.
Monroe County deputies responded to the area and identified two juveniles from Bedford Township.
The report is being sent to the Monroe County Prosecutor’s Office for review of charges, the news release said.
“Pointing a laser at an aircraft is exceptionally dangerous because a tiny beam on the ground expands dramatically over distance, completely flooding an entire cockpit with blinding light,” according to the news release. “This intense glare can instantly incapacitate or disorient pilots during critical, low-altitude phases of flight like takeoff and landing. Beyond the immediate safety threat to hundreds of passengers, doing this is a severe federal and state crime that carries massive fines and long prison sentences.”
Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to call Deputy Dylan Lyons at 734-240-7441. Anonymous tips can be called into Crime Stoppers at 1-800-Speakup or submitted on its website.
— Contact reporter Suzanne Nolan Wisler atswisler@monroenews.com.
This article originally appeared on The Monroe News: Laser strike of law enforcement aviation unit reported in Bedford Twp.
Reporting by Suzanne Nolan Wisler, The Monroe News / The Monroe News
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By Suzanne Nolan Wisler, The Monroe News | USA TODAY Network
