Man aims green laser at Life Flight helicopter carrying patient, officials say

A man shined a laser at two helicopters, including one carrying a Life Flight patient, in Washington, federal officials said.

Johnny R. Blackstock pointed a laser beam at a Spokane County Sheriff’s Office Air One helicopter while it was patrolling the area on Oct. 13, according to a Feb. 12 news release by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington.

After investigating, deputies learned Blackstock also pointed the green laser at a Life Flight helicopter crew, according to an Oct. 18 news release by the sheriff’s department.

Contact information for Blackstock’s lawyer was not immediately found in court records as of Feb. 13.

The sheriff’s office said pointing a laser at an aircraft can distract the pilots and crew or even blind them, causing permanent injury, according to the release.

The Life Flight helicopter was transporting a patient and was targeted about 15 minutes before the laser was pointed at the other helicopter, deputies said.



“Pointing a laser at an aircraft can have life-threatening consequences. Spokane County Sheriff’s Deputies protecting the community and first responders life-flighting a patient for medical help face extreme danger from actions like this,” U.S. Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref said in the release.

Blackstock was arrested on two counts of unlawful discharge of a laser, and deputies said they found the laser in his pants pocket.

Blackstock was indicted by a federal grand jury on the two felonies, prosecutors said.

Spokane is about 280 miles east of Seattle.

This story was originally published February 13, 2024 at 12:41 PM with the headline "Man aims green laser at Life Flight helicopter carrying patient, officials say."