What started as a seemingly harmless act quickly turned into a full-scale police response. A woman in Bernalillo County, New Mexico, found herself surrounded by flashing lights and officers with bodycams rolling after allegedly pointing a high-powered laser directly at a police helicopter mid-flight. The incident, captured on camera, has now gone viral — and the bodycam footage reveals every shocking second of her arrest.
According to reports, the police helicopter was assisting ground units in a late-night operation when the pilot suddenly experienced blinding flashes of green light. “It came right into the cockpit — it was strong enough to temporarily disorient the pilot,” an officer explained. The crew immediately reported the direction of the beam, guiding patrol cars straight to the source — a woman standing in a parking lot, laser still in hand.
When officers approached her, she seemed confused and defensive. “I wasn’t trying to blind anyone,” she told them, pointing to the sky. “I just wanted to see how far it would go.” The officer’s response was firm: “Ma’am, you hit a police aircraft — that’s a federal offense.”
The bodycam footage shows her visibly shocked as she’s informed that shining a laser at an aircraft, especially law enforcement, carries serious penalties under U.S. law — potentially up to five years in prison and heavy fines. Still, she appeared to treat the situation lightly, even smiling nervously as officers explained the danger she caused.
Viewers online were quick to react once the video hit social media. “She’s lucky no one got hurt — that’s no joke,” one user commented. Another wrote, “People don’t realize how dangerous that is. A few seconds of blindness can cause a crash.”
Authorities stated that laser interference incidents with aircraft have been steadily increasing across the country, with the FAA reporting thousands of similar cases each year. Even small handheld lasers, often sold online for under $20, can cause permanent eye damage or disorient pilots flying at hundreds of feet in the air.
In this case, police acted swiftly, locating the suspect before the situation escalated further. The woman was arrested at the scene and later charged with interfering with a law enforcement operation. She was booked and released pending court appearance, though officers say the case will likely be referred to federal authorities due to the involvement of an aircraft.
Bodycam footage released by Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office has sparked widespread debate online, with many viewers torn between calling it a reckless act and labeling it a lapse in judgment. “It’s ignorance, not malice,” one commenter said, while another replied, “Ignorance doesn’t excuse endangering lives.”
As the investigation continues, police have issued a strong public warning: never aim a laser at any aircraft. What may seem like a harmless beam of light can turn into a crime with life-altering consequences — and as this viral arrest proves, the authorities aren’t taking chances anymore.
