PORTLAND, Ore. – A Portland man was handed down a sentence for his brazen act of pointing a high-powered laser beam at a news helicopter flying over the city.
Fernando Garces, 25, was sentenced to two years of probation for aiming the laser pointer at the KGW news helicopter on the evening of November 9, 2016.
The incident occurred while Garces was driving on the Burnside Bridge in Portland during a protest. The bridge was filled with pedestrians and cars were moving slowly due to the protest. A KGW news helicopter was flying over the bridge to report on the protest, with a photographer operating a camera in the back.
According to court documents, Garces pointed the high-powered laser beam directly at the helicopter, temporarily blinding both the pilot and the photographer. The intense blue laser light illuminated the helicopter cockpit, forcing the pilot to make several attempts to maneuver the helicopter to a position where it would not be hit by the laser.
The laser illumination lasted approximately one minute before the pilot was able to regain enough vision to safely fly the helicopter, read controls in the cockpit, and take evasive action.
This case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Hannah Horsley, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Fernando Garces’ exact criminal charges were not specified in the press release, but it is clear that his actions interfered with the safe operation of the news helicopter.
Garces will serve two years of probation, a relatively lenient sentence considering the severity of his actions.
Key Facts
- State: Oregon
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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