Man Arrested For Pointing Lasers At Pilots In New York: 3 Hurt In LaGuardia Airport Incident

LaGuardia Landing — An American Airlines passenger jet glided under the moon near LaGuardia Airport in New York Aug. 28, 2012. On Monday, police arrested a man who allegedly injured two officers and a commercial pilot by pointing a laser beam at their aircraft. Reuters/Eduardo Munoz

The New York Police Department’s aviation unit Monday night arrested an unidentified man who was pointing a laser at planes during landings and takeoffs from LaGuardia Airport, the website NYPD News reported. Three pilots on two separate aircraft, including two police officers operating a helicopter, said they sustained injuries to their eyes because of the man’s activity.

Upon reports of the laser beams to the Federal Aviation Authority, police were dispatched to the city’s Bronx borough, as the source of the beam had been pinpointed to an apartment there. They were invited in by the suspect's mother and discovered a black tubular device labeled “Laser 303” on top of the refrigerator. That particular model of laser pointer is strong enough to light matches at close and moderate range.

according to U.S. News & World Report.