Spring Hill man arrested, accused of pointing laser beam at pilots
Courtesy: Hernando County Sheriff's Office
SPRING HILL, Fla. - A Spring Hill man is facing charges after admitting to authorities that he pointed a laser at a sheriff's office aircraft.
The Hernando County Sheriff's Office says around 11 p.m. Thursday, Deputy/Pilot Roy McLaughlin and Deputy/Pilot Steve Kling, were flying in the area of Dora Street in Spring Hill helping ground units who were looking for a missing person.
They say someone standing on the back porch of a home at 8416 Dora Street pointed a green laser light at the aircraft.
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Ground units were sent to the home and met with Robert Alan Harper. Harper admitted to pointing the laser at the aircraft. He turned over an air-soft pellet gun, similar to a rifle) which was equipped with a green laser.
"Pointing a laser at an aircraft isn't just foolhardy; it's downright dangerous, and against the law. This type of activity could cause temporary blindness to the pilot(s) which could lead to losing control of the aircraft. One moment of recklessness could lead to catastrophic consequences. So, let's be clear: there's no room for games when it comes to aircraft safety," said Sheriff Al Nienhuis.
The pilots flew back to the hangar and went to the hospital to be checked out because they were experiencing problems with their vision, according to the sheriff's office.
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Harper, 44, was arrested and faces the following charges: misuse of a laser lighting device and pointing a laser light at a driver or pilot.
Bond was set at $15,000.