Politics & Government
PGPD Pilots Help MD Senators Pass Laser Pointer Law
The legislation restricts people from pointing lasers at aircraft.

A flight crew from Prince George's County Police Department has been "instrumental" in helping pass a Senate bill that was later signed into law on May 2.
According to the PGPD, Cpl. Todd Dolihite and Cpl. Christopher Elrod—pilots on PGPD's aviation unit—helped Maryland senators pass a bill that would "make it a crime to knowingly and willfully shine, point, or focus the beam of a laser pointer on a pilot operating an aircraft."
The pilots suffered serious injuries to their eyes on Jan. 8, 2013, after they were blinded by a commercial grade laser, according to police.
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The suspect in that case was convicted of assault and served 20 days in the Upper Marlboro Detention Center.
Dolihite and Elrod testified earlier this spring in favor of the bill.
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“This is a significant victory for the area’s aviation units, and puts those who knowingly put flight crews in harm’s way, on notice,” said Maj. Pete Eliadis, Commander of the Special Operations Division.
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