Man charged with shining laser at Fairfax County police helicopter

FAIRFAX, Va. - A man is facing charges after police say he shined a blue laser at a police helicopter over the weekend.

Fairfax County police say their helicopter, Fairfax One, was returning back to the hangar to land Saturday night when the flight crew encountered a blue light shining at them at three different occasions from a vehicle.

The laser was strong enough that it bounced off equipment in the cockpit and temporarily affected two flight officers, according to police.

The flight crew used the helicopter's infrared camera to track down the vehicle where the laser was coming from, and officers on the ground were able to locate the vehicle and its driver.

Police say the driver has been charged with shining a light/laser pointer at an aircraft, a misdemeanor charge.

The Federal Aviation Administration will also conduct a federal investigation on the incident.