FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA. (WSVN) - A Hallandale Beach man has been arrested for pointing a laser at a Broward Sheriff’s Office helicopter.
BSO Deputy and Chief Pilot Brian Miller told 7News laser pointing is becoming a huge problem for pilots in South Florida.
“It’s extremely dangerous for even the people on the ground, depending on how badly we get lased, the injuries,” said Miller. “If it causes blindness, we can lose control of the aircraft. For us, we’re a single-pilot operator, so if we get damaged, then we can’t see what’s going on, and there’s really not much of a way for us to land the helicopter, so it could potentially cause a crash.”
BSO Deputy and Pilot Chris Marchese was up in the chopper over Hallandale Beach, east of Interstate 95, when a laser was pointed at him, Tuesday.
“They were up on a search for a suspect, and while they were doing a search, they were hit with a laser from somebody on the ground,” said Miller.
According to BSO, suspect Jason Roll was at his home on Northwest Fifth Terrace in Hallandale Beach when he decided to point a laser at the helicopter.
“All the glass inside the helicopter goes green,” said Marchese in December 2014. “It’s almost like a big green light got turned on in the helicopter.”
The powerful beam can disorient a pilot and can even cause temporary blindness.
“You will see the laser breach the cabin, and you’ll get the light of the laser coming through,” said Miller. “Sometimes it hits us in the face. Usually when that happens, we try our best to avoid that, and then we’ll try to find them on the camera.”
Roll was arrested at his home, where the laser was found right next to him, according to deputies.
“Be very careful of the choices that you make,” FBI Special Agent John Kitzinger said. “You won’t get a second chance.”
Roll has been charged with misuse of a laser and possession of cannabis.
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