A 20-year-old man who pleaded guilty to striking a laser pointer at a York Regional Police helicopter and is now facing a $3,000 fine for the offence.
Nicholas Caranci aimed the beam at the helicopter, known as Air2, while it was in the area of Highway 7 and Pine Valley Drive in Vaughan on August 16, 2015 at 1:30 a.m. The officers in the helicopter at the time were assisting investigators on the ground in relations to a weapons call.
While searching for a suspect from the air, the crew onboard said they were struck by an unrelated bright light source that came from the area of Jenna Court, just north of Highway 407.
Police said the laser strikes continued while the crew executed safety measures. One of the officers onboard used Air2’s camera system to see three men standing next to a vehicle at the end of Jenna Court. One of the men seen was allegedly holding a handgun that was pointing a laser beam at the helicopter.
Further investigation then continued when officers with the canine and emergency response units went to the suspect’s location. The man then allegedly fled on foot with the gun, hoped a fence, threw the gun and attempted to hide in a nearby wooded area.
Officers in Air2 directed the canine unit to a suspect hiding behind trees. The suspect was then arrested.
Health Canada said that a short glance at a laser pointer can result in a condition known as flash blindness. Although the effects are temporary, it can be very dangerous for a pilot in control of an aircraft.
Caranci pleaded guilty to projecting a bright light source and was sentenced to the fine in Newmarket on Monday.
