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Port Angeles Man Sentenced for Assaulting Helicopter Crew with Laser
A Port Angeles man was sentenced to 90 days of home confinement with electronic monitoring as part of his one-year period of probation for aiming a high-powered laser at a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter.
According to reports, Randall Muck, 36, pointed a high-powered laser beam at a Coast Guard helicopter on September 26, 2016, causing temporary loss of vision and forcing the air crew to abort its mission.
The MH-65 Dolphin helicopter was descending when it was hit by the laser that originated near Fourth and Hill Streets in Port Angeles.
Laser light can cause temporary loss of vision and force an air crew to abort its mission. In this incident, no one suffered permanent damage, but the crew had to return to base and be assessed medically before returning to duty.
Prosecutors noted that because the helicopter crew was grounded for a time, the region was without a local emergency response helicopter crew.
Muck was identified as a suspect when coworkers reported he had been bragging about the incident at work. He was later charged with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft and making false statements to government agents.
He pleaded guilty to misdemeanor assault on a federal officer and was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Grady Leupold and Erika Evans.
Key Facts
- State: Washington
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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