‘Bored’ 13-Year-Old Pointed Laser At Helicopter: Pinellas Sheriff

LARGO, FL — A 13-year-old boy was arrested early Thursday morning after pointing a laser at a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office helicopter, the agency said in a news release.

The Largo teen was charged with felony misuse of a laser lighting device.

Though the sheriff’s office has named the suspect, it’s Patch policy not to name those in the juvenile justice system. It’s not clear whether the suspect is being charged as a juvenile or an adult.

The helicopter was airborne in the area of 7th Street Northwest and 11th Avenue in Largo around 12:30 a.m. when a green laser lighting device was shined at it, the sheriff’s office said.

Flight deputies directed patrol deputies on the ground to the suspect’s location.

The patrol deputies found and spoke with the 13-year-old boy, who admitted to illuminating the helicopter with the laser lighting device, which was a flare gun with a mounted laser, the sheriff’s office said. They took the laser from him.

The boy told deputies that he intentionally aimed the laser at the helicopter “because he was bored,” according to the agency.

Under Florida law, it is a third-degree felony for any person who knowingly and willfully shines, points or focuses the beam of a laser lighting device on an individual operating a motor vehicle, vessel or aircraft.

The teen was arrested and brought to the Pinellas County Juvenile Assessment Center.