http://sacramento.fbi.gov/dojpressre...7/sc121707.pdf
According to the federal criminal complaint filed on December 13, on November 8, 2007, at about
10:55 p.m., a green laser beam illuminated the cockpit of a Kern County Sheriff’s Department helicopter,
which was flying at 500 feet above ground level during routine patrol in Bakersfield, California. When the
light hit the cockpit, it disoriented the Kern County Sheriff’s pilot, causing pain and discomfort in his eyes
for a couple of hours. Lasers, an acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation,
pose a safety hazard to flight operations. The focused beams of a laser light remain powerful at extended
viewing distances and can expose pilots to radiation levels above those considered to be flight safe. Brief
exposure to even a relatively low-powered laser beam can cause discomfort and temporary visual
impairments, such as glare, flash blind, and afterimages.
The pilot and a tactical observer were able to pinpoint the origin of the laser beam at DOOLEY’s
Bakersfield residence, where SNOW occasionally stayed. On November 27, task force members
executed a federal search warrant, locating a hand-held green laser device in DOOLEY’s pickup truck and
a red laser device in his home. Both DOOLEY and SNOW later admitted they had used the green laser
device on the night of the incident. SNOW told investigating agents that she and DOOLEY were standing
in the driveway on November 8 and “taking turns shining the laser around watching the tracers in the
sky.”