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Teen Arrested for Shining Laser Pointer at Police Copter

by Tim Stevens on December 28, 2007 at 11:11 AM

Laser Pointers Result in Numerous ArrestsLasers are complex, powerful, and potentially dangerous. As such, they are totally cool. Because of their cool factor they are popular, and lasers powerful enough to burn paper or blind people are now readily available for sale. This is causing problems and arrests for those who choose to point their new, finely focused toys in the wrong direction.

The most recent victim of pointing his laser in the wrong direction is a 15-year-old boy from California who was arrested after pointing his handheld laser at a police helicopter.

The kid, assumingly bored, pointed his Christmas present at anything that went by the window, including a commuter bus and a commercial aircraft coming in for a landing. But when he pointed it at a police helicopter, the men in blue did a little investigation, found the source, and arrested the kid. He was the third person arrested for the same offense that week in Orange County, CA alone. If convicted some may face upwards of 20 years in jail for the crime, though it's unclear whether they'll be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.

If you received a laser pointer for as a present this holiday season, be aware of where you point that thing lest you find yourself in jail.

From BoingBoing

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Tags: Arrest, Crime, Laser

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