Man charged with shooting laser at airplanes landing in Phoenix

Phoenix police said they arrested an Arizona man last week who is accused of aiming a laser at planes landing at the city’s main airport.

Authorities said they charged William Hill, 35, in the laser strike incidents that targeted commercial flights making their approach to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Police said the crew of one commercial flight reported that their aircraft was being illuminated by a laser around 8:45 p.m. on Dec. 21.

Mr. Hill was accused of aiming the laser at a Phoenix Police helicopter surrounding his home prior to his arrest later that night.

Responding officers said Mr. Hill originally denied having a laser. However, he later admitted to having a purple laser and a green laser, and that he had been pointing the green laser in the sky to “see how powerful it was,” according to court documents.

The Federal Aviation Administration reported 9,457 laser strike incidents were reported in 2022.