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Someone pointed a laser at a medevac helicopter while it was in the air

The incident happened in Weld County. Deputies are interviewing the flight crew and suspect.

WELD COUNTY, Colo — The Weld County Sheriff’s Office is conducting interviews after the pilot of a medevac helicopter said someone pointed a laser at the aircraft while it was in flight.

At this point, deputies have little information about the incident, according to Deputy Julio Sherman with the Weld County Sheriff’s Office. It happened just before midnight on Friday in a rural part of the county.

Sherman said the pilot landed the helicopter and spotted the person who apparently had the laser. Deputies were called to the scene, but the chopper left before they arrived since it had been dispatched to a call. 

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The person who pointed the laser stayed on scene, Sherman said.

The person holding the laser pointer was in the area of Weld County Road 68. 

Thousands of incidents involving lasers and planes are reported in the United States each year.

In 2012, President Obama signed an anti-laser measure into federal law, stating that any person caught willfully striking an aircraft with a laser pointer could face 5 years in federal prison.

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