It took a St. Louis jury just 20 minutes on Wednesday to return a guilty verdict against Joshua J. Johnson, 44, who was charged with aiming a laser pointer at a Metro Air Support helicopter. As reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri, the felony count Johnson was convicted of carries a possible sentence of up to five years in prison.
The incident occurred on the night of August 9, 2024, when Johnson targeted the helicopter with a blue laser, causing temporary blindness to the pilots. Flying over Benton Park, the pilots, part of a unit providing support to ground officers, regained their vision only to be struck by the laser again. They were able to trace the light back to a vehicle below, driven by Johnson, and direct ground officers to make the arrest.
While Johnson initially denied the allegations, he later conceded both in jailhouse calls and in court that he was behind the dangerous act. According to a statement obtained by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, “After initially denying that he pointed the laser, he later admitted that he was responsible.”…