KEY POINTS

  • 41-year-old Chapman was arrested on Wednesday after shining laser at pilots
  • The suspect was also charged for resisting without violence
  • One of the pilots was blinded
  • Chapman threw rocks at a police helicopter and threatened officers with a hammer

A Florida man was arrested after using a laser pointer at planes approaching the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport on Wednesday.

41- year-old Charlie James Chapman was arrested on multiple charges for shining a laser pointer at the pilots of the planes coming in at the airport and temporarily blinding one of them.

In a Fox News report, police said that Chapman shone his laser pointer on a” fixed-wing plane four times and one time at an MSCO helicopter”.

“One of the pilots of the plane advised that the laser hit him directly in the eyes, causing temporary blindness,” police said. “The pilot stated he still felt his eyesight was blurry from the laser. “

A video showed Chapman throwing rocks and pointing the laser at a Manatee County Sheriff’s helicopter searching for him.

The MSCO Aviation unit helicopter finally located Chapman on a forklift near the airport.

Chapman allegedly grabbed a hammer and made a striking motion to the deputies surrounding him but was subdued using a Taser.

The suspect was brought to Lakewood Ranch Medical Center where he was cleared and was transported to Manatee County Jail.

Police reported that they found a laser pointer in his pocket.

Chapman was charged with aggravated assault on an officer, pointing a laser at a pilot with injury, pointing a laser at a pilot without injury and resisting without violence, CNN reported.

Laser pointers have been used to dazzle police in the Catalan protests -- a tactic copied from Hong Kong
Laser pointers have been used to dazzle police in the Catalan protests -- a tactic copied from Hong Kong AFP / LLUIS GENE
Florida