Man arrested for allegedly shining laser pointer at police helicopter in Malvern East

A Malvern East man has been arrested after he allegedly fired a laser pointer at a police helicopter last night.

A Malvern East man has been arrested for allegedly shining a laser pointer at a police helicopter.

A Malvern East man who allegedly pointed a laser at a police helicopter has been arrested.

Police came knocking at the man’s Royston Ave home after he allegedly pointed the laster at the Air Wing over the city’s inner east about 9pm on Thursday, February 11.

Officers on board were able to determine the origin of the beam and directed ground patrols to the address.

The 52-year-old man is expected to be charged for endangering the safe operation of an aircraft.

It comes after a Pakenham man was last month sentenced to 73 days in jail for shining a laser at a police chopper.

The court was told police helicopters only have one pilot, and if he or she was blinded by a laser the chopper could have crashed in a residential area with catastrophic results.

The 43-year-old father of a one copped a spray from Magistrate Coastas Kilias, who called him a “garden variety goose”.

“You’ve got to have rocks in your head, be an absolute moron to do that,” Mr Kilias said