Regional Operations Group officers have charged a 22-year-old man in relation to an incident on Thursday, May 13, in which a police helicopter was struck multiple times by a laser light.
The police helicopter was being flown over the Rockingham area when at approximately 9.15pm it was struck by a blue laser light several times.
The helicopter crew managed to track the laser light to a residence on Waimea Road in Safety Bay.
Police were directed to the residence, where they arrested a 22-year-old man and recovered a blue laser pointer under a bed.
The safety bay man was taken to Rockingham Police Station to be interviewed and was subsequently charged with 'cause fear or alarm with laser or light to people in conveyances or others' and is due to appear in the Rockingham Magistrates Court on Friday, May 28.
A WA Police Force spokesperson said laser pointers are extremely dangerous items to point at any aircraft.
"Laser lights have the potential to illuminate the cabin of an aircraft and cause immediate distress to pilots, who on most occasions need to take immediate evasive action to retain safe control of the aircraft they are flying," the spokesperson said.
"This kind of offence creates a significant danger to those onboard the aircraft, and under section 74B of WA's Criminal Code the penalty for a person found guilty of the offence can be a fine of up to $36,000 and/or a term of imprisonment for up to 7 years."
Samantha Ferguson
Samantha Ferguson is a journalist at the Mandurah Mail. She is an entertainment, sport, crime, community and education journalist with a special interest in investigative pieces and human interest stories.
Samantha Ferguson is a journalist at the Mandurah Mail. She is an entertainment, sport, crime, community and education journalist with a special interest in investigative pieces and human interest stories.
