The National Police have arrested and charged a 21-year-old man for directing a laser pointer at a police helicopter during the weekend’s carnival in Las Palmas in Gran Canaria. In Spain, something like this is classed as a very serious offense based on Law 4/2015 for Citizen Security and Law 21/2003 for Aviation Security.
As reported by the National Police Headquarters of the Canary Islands, the incident took place at around 8:00pm on Sunday during the carnival, when the pilot reported that several flashes were directed at the helicopter, which hindered their security and support tasks, causing a serious risk to its occupants and therefore to the citizens below.
However, from the air it was possible to pinpoint the area where the flashes were coming from, and agents on the ground were notified who apprehended a group of young people at the skatepark on Calle Eduardo Benot, and found one of them in possession of a laser pointer.
The 21-year-old male was identified and arrested for the incident under the aforementioned laws, which as they are classed as a very serious offence, carry a fine of between 30,001 to 600,000 euros depending on the assessment of the danger caused by the infraction, but 30,001 euros is the minimum he will be fined.
