A U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter was struck by a laser beam Wednesday, interfering with the operations it was conducting protests in Detroit.
According to authorities, the crew was flying near the Renaissance Center when they detected their aircraft was being targeted by a green laser. The crew temporarily ceased operations, contacted the Windsor Ontario Control Tower to report the incident and kept their cameras on the person who shined the laser until Windsor Police took the person into custody.
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The CBP is reminding residents that lasers present a very serious risk to aviator safety and while owning a laser pointer isn’t illegal, shining it into a cockpit of an aircraft is a federal crime. According to the FAA, laser pointers can potentially damage sensitive equipment and flash blind a pilot.