The man was detained at the airport in Florida for blinded during landing the pilot laser, sending the beam right into his eyes. He is charged with aggravated assault and resisting arrest.
The pilot was landing at the international airport Sarasota-Bradenton in Florida on Wednesday evening, January 22, when the incident occurred. He was able to safely land the plane, but said that after this event, his vision still blurred.
The police arrived at the scene after he heard reports that the plane, EN route to the airport, was sent to the laser. The video footage taken from cockpit of the police helicopter show that the offender shone a laser on them, and then began to throw in the helicopter with stones.
The assailant Charlie James Chapman, 42, was discovered on the East side of the airport, behind the forklift. He swung at police officers with a hammer, but in the end the officers detained him and defused. In Chapman’s pocket was found a laser pointer.
VIDEO: Man points laser directly to the pilot’s eyes while plane landing at Florida airport – WATCH https://t.co/W8nqAunH0S pic.twitter.com/eKhwWzeNCb
— Trumble Times (@TrumbleTimes) January 23, 2020
First, Chapman was taken to the medical centre for checks and then he was transferred to Manatee County jail.
It later emerged that he had been four times shone a laser at a plane.
He was charged with assaulting a police officer with aggravating circumstances, the direction of the laser at the pilot and resisting arrest.
