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ST. LUCIE COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) – A Florida man was arrested Saturday after deputies said he pointed a laser at a sheriff’s office helicopter and temporarily blinded the crew.
Robert Raymond Kasprzak, 34, of Port St. Lucie, allegedly flashed the green laser at the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office helicopter multiple times, according to the sheriff’s office.
The crew on board was temporarily blinded by the laser, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Kasprzak was tracked to a turnpike service plaza, where he was arrested by the Port St. Lucie Police Department and charged with misuse of a laser lighting device, a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine, according to deputies.
Sheriff Ken Mascara said it was important to remind the public that pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime.
“Doing so triggers temporary blindness and could have deadly consequences for the crew and the public and cause catastrophic damage to the aircraft and any structure in its path,” Mascara said.
No injuries were reported in the incident, Mascara said.