A laser beam from Windsor, Ont. caused problems for U.S. Customs and Border Protection and resulted in an arrest.
An AS-350 helicopter was struck by a laser beam while conducting operations over protests in Detroit around 10 p.m. Wednesday night, according to U.S. Customs.
The pilot and crew were flying near the Renaissance Centre when they noticed their aircraft was being targeted by a green laser — the crew then targeted the aircrafts camera on the origin point and contacted authorities with the exact location.
According to U.S. Customs, they then contacted the Windsor's Control Tower who got in contact with Windsor Police Service. The crew of the helicopter maintained visual on the suspect and aided Windsor police in making an arrest.
Lasers pointed into a cockpit can cause pilots to suffer flash blindness and other sudden vision problems, as well as permanent vision damage, according to Marc Sledge. Laser incidents also threaten the safety of innocent people on the ground.
The Director, Air and Marine Operations, Great Lakes Air and Marine Branch says he's "thankful pilots were not injured in this incident and that our Canadian counterparts were there to assist us at a moment's notice."
Owning a hand-held laser isn't illegal, but shining it into a cockpit of an aircraft is a federal crime on both sides of the border.
Someone convicted of interference with an aircraft can face 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.