A Philadelphia man is facing assault charges after he allegedly pointed a laser at a police helicopter on Wednesday night.
23-year-old Brian Lawhon was arrested and charged with two counts of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and many other things.
Investigators say the helicopter was on routine patrol in Philadelphia’s Hunting Park neighborhood, when the laser was pointed into the cockpit.
Officers began to search for a suspect after the pilot complained of pain in his eyes.
According to police, Lawhon was carrying a handheld laser when he was arrested.
This latest incident isn’t the first time a suspect has been arrested for pointing a laser.
In June, a 21-year-old New Jersey man was arrested and charged with pointing a laser at a United States Coast Guard helicopter.
Another man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for shining a laser into the cockpit of a Philadelphia Police Department helicopter back in 2008.
The 23-year-old was also ordered to pay a $1,000 fine and complete three years of supervised release.
