Video: Edgewater Man Arrested After Shining Laser At Air One Helicopter

Date Added: September 23, 2020 9:20 am

Andrew Gant
Office of Public Affairs & Media Relations

EDGEWATER MAN ARRESTED AFTER SHINING LASER AT AIR ONE HELICOPTER

An Edgewater man who pointed a laser at the Volusia Sheriff’s Office Air One helicopter yesterday got a reminder that shining a laser pointer at a pilot in flight is a felony.

Ryan Hutton, 29 (DOB 6/20/1991) was arrested without incident Tuesday morning in Edgewater after Air One led a deputy and police officer to his boat on the Intracoastal Waterway. A green laser pointer was recovered from the boat. Hutton said he pointed it at the helicopter thinking it was a drone.

At the time of the incident shortly after 7 a.m., Air One was in flight on a burglary call when the laser beam hit the right side of the aircraft, illuminated the cockpit and hit the pilot in the right eye. It caused partial loss of vision for 3 to 5 minutes, which the pilot described as similar to having a flash bulb go off in front of his eye.

Hutton was transported to the Volusia County Branch Jail, where he posted $5,000 bond.