C-17 Hit By Laser

An Air Force C-17 has become the latest target of a green laser attack. The crew of the big cargo plane reported they were at 4,000 feet over the Jersey Shore on Saturday when the cockpit was illuminated. No one was hurt and the aircraft continued its flight. The laser strike occurred about 9:15 p.m. as the aircraft flew near McGuire Air Force Base, according to the New York Daily News. Police were dispatched but no arrests were made, although in the rare circumstances when a case is prosecuted, the courts send a stern message.

Last week a Bay City, Michigan, man was sentenced to more than a year in prison for pointing a laser at a police helicopter. He pleaded guilty to a single count stemming from an incident that occurred in January of 2016. Such prosecutions are few and far between, however. On a single night last August, the FAA said it received 15 laser strike reports.