Man arrested for using lasers to strike police helicopter
By Andrew Adeolu
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BALTIMORE, Maryland (WJZ) — A man has been arrested after using lasers to strike a Baltimore County Police Department helicopter in December.
BCoPD’s Aviation Unit members were struck by multiple lasers on Eastern Avenue while flying to Martin State Airport on December 19, 2024, at 9:45 p.m.
Using an onboard imaging system, officers identified where the strikes came from and made patrol officers aware of the situation.
At the 800 block of Rosedale Avenue, police found 50-year-old Anthony R. Wolff.
Wolff was charged with, “recklessly engaging in conduct that created a substantial risk of death or serious injuries to the officers,” according to a press release from BCoPD.
The release noted that two days prior, the Federal Aviation Administration reported a “substantial” uptick in laser strikes.
“When laser beams are aimed at any piloted aircraft, whether military or commercial, what might seem like a tiny beam on the ground can blind aircrew, potentially causing a midair collision or other incident. In 2023 alone, the Federal Aviation Administration (or FAA) received more than 13,000 reports of laser strikes,” according to the FBI.
Intentionally aiming a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime.
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