Man points laser at helicopter, arrested and charged, THP says

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - Tennessee Highway Patrol has arrested and charged a man accused of pointing a laser at a THP-operated helicopter.

On November 1, troopers reported that someone was pointing a laser into the cockpit of the helicopter; the shining of the laser affected all three passengers and could have put their lives at risk.

Upon further investigation, a trooper was able to find the home of the suspect, who was identified as Eric Price, 47.

Price reportedly admitted that was the person who pointed the laser at the THP helicopter.

He was taken into custody and is now facing aggravated assault charges.

Mathew Descheneaux is a pilot who talked about how dangerous this situation could have been.

“You know, the laser hits the windshield, that is going to sort of magnify it and kind of light up the whole cockpit. And even though it is just a tiny beam, it will magnify and light everything up in the darkness,” Descheneaux said.

The FAA reported over 13,000 laser strikes in 2023, which was a 41% increase from 2022, and this year there have been over 400 just in Tennessee.

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