A woman from Delta Junction, Alaska, has been handed three years of probation for using a powerful laser to interfere with a joint military operation, injuring three Canadian aircrew members.
A statement from the U.S. District Attorney’s office in Alaska says Canadian military aircrews were flying in two tactical helicopter squadrons on Feb. 11, 2024, as part of an operation with the United States when one of the pilots reported a laser had been pointed at the aircraft.
Court documents say the pilot was at about 1,280 metres when the first laser hit, and when the aircraft came down to Allen Army Airfield near Delta Junction, it was hit again, but the crew saw which cabin the laser came from.
The document says police went to the home, where a woman inside, Heide Goodermote, told them the helicopters had no right to go over her cabin, so she pointed a laser at them.
Police later seized a Class 3B laser from the home, which is powerful enough to cause immediate eye damage or burn skin, and the Canadian air crew reported injuries to their eyes.
The woman pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of assaulting officers or employees engaged in performing official duties and was sentenced last week to probation in an Alaskan court.
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Kathryn Vogel, the first assistant U.S. attorney in Alaska, says they’re thankful the laser attack didn’t result in substantial loss of life or property.
“Ms. Goodermote wrongly believed the helicopters had no right to fly over her property and decided to take matters into her own hands by shining a dangerous laser at the helicopters and crew that could have caused serious damage,” Vogel said in the statement.
“This case should serve as a reminder that putting other people’s well-being at risk when they are performing official duties as part of U.S. government operations, like a joint military exercise with foreign allies, is a prosecutable offense,” she said.
