Lasers pointed at sheriff’s helicopters dangerous, illegal

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Updated: August 4, 2011 4:20PM

An incident Thursday in which someone flashed a laser into the cockpit of a Lake County Sheriff’s helicopter prompted the department to issue a public warning against the practice Monday.

A red flash of light coming from the ground struck Sgt. George Nestorovich in the eye while he and another Sheriff’s pilot were patrolling over Gary, not far from the Gary/Chicago International Airport. Nestorovich said.

“When it hit us it literally lit up the inside of the helicopter,” Nestorovich said.

The light caused brief flash blindness and irritation that lasted until Sunday, Nestorovich said. A similar incident occurred last year when police were searching for a murder suspect in Dyer.

“These are commercial grade lasers, not one you can buy at a gas station,” Nestorovich said. “A small one can go up to 1,200 yards.”

Lasers are particularly dangerous to helicopters because they fly lower to the ground than commercial aircraft, Nestorovich said.

Pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal offense and can result in a fine and imprisonment in a federal penitentiary, Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Dept. Cmdr. Robert Arnold said.

In Indiana it is a Class B misdemeanor to point a laser at a police officer. Some can cause long-term eye damage.

There are no regulations governing the purchase of lasers, but current legislation, the Securing Aircraft Cockpits Against Lasers Act of 2011, has passed the United States House of Representatives and Senate.

The number of cases of people pointing a laser at airplanes and helicopters nearly doubled from 2009 to 2010, from 1,527 to 2,836. The Chicago metro area, which includes Lake County, had 98 reported laser/aircraft incidents in 2010, ranking it second in the United States, surpassed only by Los Angeles, Arnold said.

Contact Diane Krieger Spivak at 648-3076.