DAVENPORT, Fla. — A 52-year-old man faces a charge of unlawful use of a laser light device for shining one into the sight of two Polk County Sheriff's Office helicopter pilots, the agency said.
Douglas Norris, who lives in Davenport, admitted to pointing a laser light at the helicopter around 10 p.m. Thursday and knew what he was doing was against the law, according to a sheriff's office news release.
Norris reportedly was located after the pilots described what they were seeing and provided a location on Burford Circle to patrol units on the ground. The helicopter was flying over Davenport while assisting deputies, the agency said.
"Aiming lasers at an aircraft is dangerous because the light becomes magnified when the pilot is wearing night vision assistance," Sheriff Grady Judd said in a statement. "This reckless act could cause a crash, endangering the lives of those in the aircraft as well as those on the ground.
"Thankfully, in this instance, no one was injured."
Norris was released from custody after paying a $1,000 bond.
