FBI Busts Man for Aiming Laser at Chopper Over Missouri

What might seem like a harmless trick could land a Missouri man in federal prison for 5 years after he was convicted for pointing a laser pen at a helicopter resulting in the crew being temporarily blinded.

The FBI in St. Louis just shared this harrowing story of what happened when a man pointed a laser pen at a helicopter which was working in support of other officers.

The United States Attorney's Office in the Eastern District of Missouri says that Joshua J. Johnson, 44, was found guilty by a jury who only took 20 minutes to decide that he did point a laser pointer at a Metro Support helicopter at approximately 9:45 p.m. on August 9, 2024. The crew was temporarily blinded, but eventually were able to track the laser to a vehicle below them. As they descended, he pointed the laser at them again. When confronted on the ground by officers, he at first denied that he did it, but later confessed including when he was being held in jail. He is scheduled to be sentenced in October and could get up to 5 years in prison. The US Attorney's Office also mentions that the FAA can issue fines up to $11,000 for this crime. Their data says there were a stunning 12,840 laser strikes in just 2024 alone.