Police arrest man for pointing laser at MNPD helicopter
Pointing a laser at an aircraft is both a safety hazard and a violation of federal law, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - A Nashville man is accused of pointing a laser at a police helicopter, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.
Dennis Holder, 37, was arrested Sunday at his home near the Hadley Park area of Nashville, according to an arrest report.
MNPD said officers were called to the intersection of Torbett Street and 28th Avenue North Sunday after two MNPD employees in a police helicopter reported that someone in that area was shinning a green laser at the helicopter.
According to the arrest report, officers knocked on doors in the area to see if anyone knew about the incident. The officers stated in the arrest report that Dennis Holder answered the door at one of the homes and officers said he matched the description given by the employees in the helicopter.
Officers said when they asked Holder about the incident, he stated that he did shine his laser at the helicopter.
Holder was charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a first responder.
Pointing a laser at an aircraft is both a safety hazard and a violation of federal law, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
In a report released last week, the FAA said laser attacks in Tennessee were consistently high. So far this year, more than 400 laser attacks have been reported across the state. 85 of those were in Nashville, according to the FAA’s report.
Copyright 2024 WSMV. All rights reserved.