HERNDNAO COUNTY, Fla. – A Florida man has been arrested after pointing a laser light at a sheriff’s office helicopter and attempting to hide in the trees.
According to Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, on Saturday, at approximately 2 a.m., Deputy Pilot Roy McLaughlin and Tactical Flight Officer (TFO) B.J. Hart were conducting a proactive patrol flight in Air-1 in the area of Commercial Way and County Line Road in Spring Hill when the aircraft was struck by a green laser.
Utilizing technology in the aircraft, TFO Hart identified the location of the individual who was firing the laser at them from behind a Circle K convenience store located at 16200 County Line Road, Spring Hill on the Pasco County side.
As TFO Hart directed patrol deputies to the location of the suspect, the suspect continued to fire the laser at the aircraft.
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Investigators say the suspect then fled the area on an all-terrain vehicle, attempting to hide in a cluster of trees.
But unfortunately, for the suspect, trees do not obstruct the technology used by the TFO to see things on the ground.
Patrol deputies were directed to the suspect’s location, Shady Hills Road, just south of Fridge Tree Drive, where he was taken into custody.
Patrol deputies from the Pasco Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene.
The suspect, identified as David Dean, denied firing the laser at the aircraft, stating it was a male on a bike. TFO Hart confirmed that he never lost sight of the suspect, monitoring him continuously until patrol deputies arrived on the scene.
As deputies conducted a search of Dean, they located a baggie containing a crystal-like substance in his jacket pocket.
Dean told deputies the substance was not his. The substance, weighing 8.5 grams, field-tested positive for the presence of methamphetamine.
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Deputies also discovered a backpack in close proximity to Dean and the ATV. Inside the backpack, deputies located identification belonging to Dean, a laser light, and a green leafy substance.
The substance, weighing 1.5 grams, field tested positive for cannabis. Deputies turned on the laser, and not surprisingly, it displayed a green light.
Deputies asked Dean about the laser. Dean stated he was “just messing around” and wanted to be taken to jail.
Due to being placed under arrest in Pasco County, Dean was booked into the Pasco County Detention Center in Land O’Lakes. David Dean, 47, was charged as follows:
– Possession of Controlled Substance
– Possession of Marijuana
– Point Laser Light at Driver or Pilot
– Bond – $5,000.
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