By Christopher Leach
Lexington Herald-Leader
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Lexington man was arrested early Wednesday morning after he allegedly pointed a laser at a Kentucky State Police helicopter that had rescued a camper in the Red River Gorge, according to the agency.
The laser incident happened around 12:30 a.m. near West Loudon Street in Lexington. State police said the helicopter was on its way back to Frankfort when Markus Smith, 39, of Lexington, pointed a laser at the aircraft.
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Smith’s citation said he tried to get away from the helicopter on a moped, but officers in the aircraft were able to keep an eye on him and relay his information to officers on the ground. Officers surrounded Smith in an alley near North Broadway and West Fifth Street. Smith turned himself in and admitted to pointing the laser at the helicopter.
Smith is charged with laser/vision interference, tampering with physical evidence, no operator’s license for a moped, third-degree criminal trespassing, no registration and failure to maintain insurance. State police said potential federal charges are pending.
“Laser strikes can alter the intended flight path or cause temporary visual disturbances for the pilot and flight crew,” State Police Post 12 Public Affairs Officer Andy Stepp said in a news release. “These are not harmless pranks. They violate federal law and can have dangerous consequences for everyone involved, both in the air and on the ground.”
Smith is being held at the Fayette County Detention Center on a $1,500 bond, according to jail records. He was scheduled to be arraigned in Fayette District Court Wednesday.
Hours earlier, the helicopter helped rescue an 18-year-old camper from Hanson’s Point in the Red River Gorge. The Wolfe County Search & Rescue Team said the camper suffered a medical emergency in a remote part of the gorge.
A team of rescuers hiked about 2.5 miles to the camper and determined that an aerial rescue would be best. State police’s aviation unit assisted with the rescue by lowering a basket to the camper and hoisting them to a nearby landing zone, according to the rescue team.
An ambulance was waiting at the landing zone to take the camper to a hospital, according to the rescue team.
“This rescue was a great example of multiple agencies working together to provide the safest and most efficient outcome for a patient in a remote and difficult-to-access location,” the rescue team said in a Facebook post.
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