By The Canadian Press

EDMONTON

Charges laid after laser beam alleged to have been pointed at Edmonton police helicopter

Oct 30, 2019 | 2:40 PM

Charges have been laid against a man who allegedly pointed a laser beam at the Edmonton police helicopter.

Police say the aircraft – known as Air 1 – had two crew members aboard and was flying over the city’s north end early Saturday morning when it was struck several times by a blue light.

Photos of the incident taken by police show a dazzling light at times hitting the chopper.

The pilot traced the origin of the beam and officers on the ground located a suspect.

Sgt. James Pennie with the police flight operations unit says in a statement that the laser can be quite blinding to the human eye and could result in a serious safety risk to the crew.

Christopher Horon, who is 41, is charged with assault with a weapon, mischief and two counts of breach of probation.