Man Pleads Guilty to Pointing Laser At Police Helicopter

A Maryland man pleaded guilty this week to a federal charge of pointing a laser at a Baltimore County police helicopter in 2014, the Baltimore Sun reported.The helicopter was flying over a high school in September when a green laser beam twice illuminated the cockpit, according to the Sun's report on the court case.Two officers in the helicopter put a spotlight on James Robert Hensler and called for officers on the ground.Hensler initially told police it wasn't him, but later admitted he pointed the laser at the helicopter to see how far it could shine.Hensler, 24, will be sentenced in March and faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Baltimore County Police Chief Jim Johnson told the newspaper he was pleased with the outcome of the case. "Pointing a laser pointer at any aircraft is a serious matter, as it threatens the lives of those on the aircraft as well as people on the ground," Johnson said in a statement. "In this incident, the crew of the Baltimore County Police helicopter was lucky that the use of the laser pointer did not lead to a tragic loss of life."In efforts to protect pilots from lasers, which can temporarily blind them while flying, the government made it a federal crime in 2012 to point a laser at an aircraft.