William Hill Faces Charges for Aiming Lasers at Commercial Flights and Police Helicopter

In a concerning incident, Phoenix police have arrested a 35-year-old Arizona man, William Hill, accused of deliberately targeting airplanes landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport with a laser.

According to authorities, the arrest follows reports from the crew of a commercial flight that their aircraft was illuminated by a laser around 8:45 p.m. on December 21. Subsequent investigations led police to Mr. Hill, who was also accused of aiming the laser at a Phoenix Police helicopter near his residence.

Responding officers initially encountered denial from Mr. Hill regarding the possession of a laser. However, he later admitted to having both a purple and green laser. Hill stated that he had been pointing the green laser into the sky out of curiosity about its power, as per court documents.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) reported a staggering 9,457 laser strike incidents in 2022, highlighting the severity and frequency of such occurrences.