SPOKANE VALLEY, Wash. — Police arrested a man for pointing a laser at a Spokane County law enforcement helicopter on Friday, according to Spokane Valley Police Department.
Around 6 p.m. on April 18, Spokane Regional Air Support Unit (SRASU) Air 1 took a regularly scheduled patrol flight.
SVPD said the helicopter’s crew was aware of reports made earlier in the month by several other flight crews of a green laser hitting their aircrafts.
“Pointing a laser at any aircraft is extremely dangerous as the laser, at a minimum, distracts pilots/crews, can momentarily blind them and can potentially cause permanent injury depending on its strength. Pointing a laser at any aircraft is a crime and can be life-threatening, risking the safety of the aircraft, its crew and the public on the ground,” said SVPD in a Facebook post.
During the patrol flight, SRASU searched the suspected area where the laser was believed to be coming from near Spokane International Airport, but saw nothing suspicious.
Later in the evening, two new reports were made of aircrafts being struck by a green laser coming from near the airport.
Around 11 p.m., SRASU took off to search for a suspect.
About an hour later, the helicopter’s crew was hit with a green laser. They used specialized location equipment and cameras to track the laser to an open field.
The crew guided police on the ground to the field where they found 45-year-old Rusty A. Flett near a power pole.
Police arrested Flett and determined the lasers reported earlier in the month came from within 200 yards of the spot where he was arrested.
SVPD said Flett could face multiple Washington state felony charges and similar Federal felony charges.
No injuries were reported. SVPD said, as of Monday evening, the case is still considered an active investigation.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.
