Federal raid stuns family when son suspected of shining laser at pilots

[flashl]

22-year-old faces felony charge after pilots say he aimed light at helicopter

South Florida Sun-Sentinel
August 12, 2008

Thomas Kiefer Jr. felt like the little guy — a speck on the ground pointing an even smaller speck of light at a helicopter that was shining a 30-million Candlepower searchlight onto his parents' home.

But inside the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office helicopter last week, pilots Carl Kamstra and Dave Fell saw serious dangers posed by the green laser as it lit up their cockpit.

"If you get it in your eye, it can burn the interior. It can do quite a bit of damage," Kamstra said. "And it can be very disruptive."

Contending with a nationwide surge in the number of laser incidents disrupting the piloted skies, the Sheriff's Office and the FBI came down hard on Kiefer. After identifying the house on Dillman Road west of West Palm Beach, they arrived with a search warrant and assault rifles that the family says were pointed at them as agents tossed through drawers and closets in search of lasers. They confiscated 10 lasers.

Take lasers OFF the shopping lists for birthdays and Xmas!

[notadmblnd]

1. couldn't they have just knocked on the door?

[Fumesucker]

6. Someone might have flushed a laser down the toilet..

I remember when Democrats used to make fun of those who spoke of "Jack booted thugs".

Not so much anymore.

[NashVegas]

2. It's Hard to Believe Some Police Organizations Aren't Under Orders to Intimidate

How can there be so many voluntary assholes?

[Fumesucker]

7. Plenty of assholes in the world..

All you have to do is make sure your hiring process discriminates in favor of assholes and you will have a plethora of them.

[niyad]

3. a similar situation happened in SoCal about 15 years ago. guy shined a flashlight at the helicopter

circling overhead-next thing he knew, there was a SWAT team at his door.

this has gotten beyond absurd--a flashlight from how many hundred feet below could cause retinal damage? what, they weren't wearing their night vision gear?

[Ezlivin]

4. Too bad he didn't just hold up a one meter parabolic mirror

Then the police would have no reason to complain.

[TooBigaTent]

5. This "criminal" broke the cardinal rule - leave no witnesses behind. I really can't stand

stupid people.