Man arrested for pointing laser at multiple planes in Marysville
A man was arrested Friday for allegedly pointing a laser at multiple planes near Marysville last month.
According to Marysville Police Department (MPD), at least two planes based out of Arlington Municipal Airport were hit by lasers from a location near Marysville on Nov. 20.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported the laser strikes, and the case was forwarded to an MPD detective. The detective was then able to establish probable cause for the man.
The MPD said patrol officers found and arrested the man early Friday morning for two counts of first-degree unlawful discharge of a laser. Police said more charges were possible as the investigation continued.
Jail records show the man posted bail and was released just before 6 p.m. Sunday.
The FAA said fines can range from $11,000 for a first-time violation and over $30,000 for subsequent violations.
RELATED: FAA investigating more pilot reports of laser strikes near Sea-Tac Airport
This wasn’t the only time a laser has been pointed at aircraft in western Washington in November. The FAA said pilots of three commercial flights also reported laser strikes near Seattle-Tacoma International Airport last month.
Two reports occurred on Friday, Nov. 18, when flight crews from Delta and Alaska airlines said they were illuminated by a green laser as they approached Sea-Tac Airport at an altitude of 1,800 feet.
Another reported laser strike happened on Saturday, Nov. 19, when an Alaska Airlines flight crew said they were struck by a green laser southeast of Sea-Tac at an altitude of 4,800 feet.
The FAA said aiming a laser at an aircraft is against federal law and a “serious safety hazard that puts everyone on the plane and on the ground below at risk.”
RELATED: FBI Seattle offers $10K reward to find laser culprits at Sea-Tac airport
More than 9,700 laser strikes were reported to the FAA in 2021.
There have been more than 470 reported laser strikes in Washington state in 2022, according to FAA data last updated on Nov. 9. More than 125 of those reported laser strikes happened in Seattle.
