DENVER (KDVR) — A Longmont man pleaded guilty in a California court last week to aiming a laser pointer at a Fresno County Sheriff’s Office helicopter.
Martin Joseph Avila, 66, of Longmont, pleaded guilty on Sept. 29 to one count of aiming a laser pointer at the sheriff’s office helicopter on May 28, 2024, while the helicopter was on a routine patrol.
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The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Colorado said that the laser Avila was using had a total power output of 92.8 milliwatts, which the office said is over 18 times more powerful than what is allowed under law.
The Federal Aviation Administration reports that laser exposure can impair vision and, because of that, can be a serious hazard to aircraft pilots and other operations. In 2024, the FAA received 12,840 reports of laser strikes from pilots. California had the majority of those reports: 1,489. Colorado marked 358 reports of laser strikes last year…