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on those pesky cops and their lasers 
Laser-Pointing Prankster Arrested for Temporarily Blinding Pilot
ST. PAUL – Sunday night, an Eagan man aimed a laser pointer at a State Patrol helicopter, temporarily blinding a pilot. The man has since been arrested.
For pilots flying at night, foreign light can not only be distracting, but dangerous.
The helicopter trooper turned on the spotlight and with the help of a canine unit on the ground, found the perpetrator.
The pilot set down the chopper near the intersection of 35W and Broadway.
25-year-old Adam Flocchini of Eagan has been arrested for aiming the laser pointer into the cockpit of the State Patrol aircraft.
Interfering with the safety of an aircraft is a federal offense, and the case has been turned over to the FBI.
The FAA has received more than a thousand complaints about laser pointers since they started documenting the cases a few years ago.
In this case, the effect of the laser was amplified because the helicopter crew members were wearing night vision goggles.
The U.S. Attorney will determine whether charges will be filed.
Laser-Pointing Prankster Arrested for Temporarily Blinding Pilot
ST. PAUL – Sunday night, an Eagan man aimed a laser pointer at a State Patrol helicopter, temporarily blinding a pilot. The man has since been arrested.
For pilots flying at night, foreign light can not only be distracting, but dangerous.
The helicopter trooper turned on the spotlight and with the help of a canine unit on the ground, found the perpetrator.
The pilot set down the chopper near the intersection of 35W and Broadway.
25-year-old Adam Flocchini of Eagan has been arrested for aiming the laser pointer into the cockpit of the State Patrol aircraft.
Interfering with the safety of an aircraft is a federal offense, and the case has been turned over to the FBI.
The FAA has received more than a thousand complaints about laser pointers since they started documenting the cases a few years ago.
In this case, the effect of the laser was amplified because the helicopter crew members were wearing night vision goggles.
The U.S. Attorney will determine whether charges will be filed.
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