Fresno, CA – A Bakersfield man was found guilty of aiming a laser pointer at a Kern County Sheriff’s helicopter, putting the pilot’s life at risk.
After a two-day trial, Barry Lee Bowser Jr., 52, was found guilty of one count of aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, announced United States Attorney Benjamin B. Wagner.
The incident occurred on September 12, 2014, when Bowser aimed the beam of a green laser at Air-1, a Kern County Sheriff’s helicopter while it was providing support to ground units responding to a man armed with a gun.
The helicopter was struck two times by a powerful green laser from a distance of about 1/8 mile. The beam of the laser appeared to track the helicopter, which was flying at about 400 to 500 feet above the ground. The helicopter’s mission was diverted near the approach to Meadows Field Airport because of the laser strike.
The pilot experienced flash blindness and eye discomfort and pain that lasted several hours. According to evidence presented at trial, the officers pinpointed the source of the laser to a commercial property and motorhome surrounded by a chain link fence on Sillect Avenue in Bakersfield.
Bowser, who was residing in the motorhome, admitted to the officers that he had just placed new batteries in the laser and was testing its capabilities. This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI, Kern County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bakersfield Police Department.
Bowser is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Lawrence J. O’Neil on September 28, 2015. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) received 3,894 reports of incidents involving laser strikes on aircraft in 2014. In the Eastern District of California, which encompasses 34 counties in the eastern portion of California, there were 150 reported laser incidents, with Bakersfield and Fresno leading in the number of reported incidents.
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Key Facts
- State: California
- Category: Violent Crime|Public Corruption
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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