Juveniles suspected of pointing lasers at helicopter flying over Monroe County, sheriff says

The Monroe County Sheriff's Office is urging people never to point a laser at an aircraft after a reported laser strike in Bedford Township, Michigan, on Sunday.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol was following a vehicle, which was wanted for an unrelated incident within its jurisdiction, with one of its helicopters around 1 a.m. The pilots reported the laser strike while flying over Bedford Township.

According to the sheriff's office, the lasers came from the 200 block of West Dean Road. Deputies responded to the area and identified an undisclosed number of juveniles as the offenders, officials said. Charges are pending a review by the Monroe County Prosecutor's Office.

"Pointing a laser at an aircraft is exceptionally dangerous because a tiny beam on the ground expands dramatically over distance, completely flooding an entire cockpit with blinding light," Monroe County Sheriff Troy Goodnough said in a written statement. "This intense glare can instantly incapacitate or disorient pilots during critical, low-altitude phases of flight like takeoff and landing."

Goodnough added that pointing a laser at an aircraft can result in severe consequences, including large fines and long prison sentences.

Pilots reported 10,993 laser strikes to the Federal Aviation Administration in 2025, according to the federal agency.