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Date: 01 Aug 2006 14:03:14
From: Czar7
Subject: Green Laser a Weapon?
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<Snip >
Laser Pointer Hits NYPD Helicopter
By Associated Press
2 hours ago
NEW YORK - A 19-year-old man was arrested after authorities said he
shined a laser pointer at a police helicopter.
The bright green laser beamed into the cockpit late Monday night,
temporarily blinding the officers, said Melissa Klein, an NYPD
spokeswoman.
Police arrested Anthony Pepe a short time later, and charged him with
reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon, Klein said.
...
</Snip >
Now, I don't agree with what he did and I have no problem with him
being arrested, but he is being charged with "criminal possession of a
weapon"?
Since when did a green laser become a "weapon"?
Ugh....
Dave
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Date: 01 Aug 2006 16:40:05
From: canopus56
Subject: Re: Green Laser a Weapon?
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canopus56 wrote:
<snip >
Like many states, NY City has a specific ordinance prohibiting the
directing of presentation pointers at a police officer.
NYC Admin. Code Sec. 10-134.2(e) Regulation of laser pointers.
"It shall be unlawful for any person to direct light from a laser
pointer at a uniformed police officer, . . . or the marked
service vehicle of any such individual."
Again, common sense stuff. Hopefully legtimate amateur astronomy use
won't be pulled into the hype surrounding this newspaper report.
- Canopus56
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Date: 01 Aug 2006 16:23:58
From: canopus56
Subject: Re: Green Laser a Weapon?
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Czar7 wrote:
> <Snip>
> Laser Pointer Hits NYPD Helicopter
> By Associated Press
For lurkers, here is the link to the full AP story:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060801/ap_on_re_us/laser_pointer_helicopter_1
- Canopus56
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Date: 01 Aug 2006 21:57:58
From: Chris L Peterson
Subject: Re: Green Laser a Weapon?
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On 1 Aug 2006 14:03:14 -0700, "Czar7" <czar7@cgi101.com > wrote:
>NEW YORK - A 19-year-old man was arrested after authorities said he
>shined a laser pointer at a police helicopter.
One of those million candle-power spotlights they sell cheap at the big
box stores would be a lot more effective if you want to flash blind the
pilot of a nearby helicopter. And it might still get you arrested, but
the press (and the police) sensationalize the "laser" part of the
incident.
_________________________________________________
Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com
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Date: 01 Aug 2006 14:43:10
From: canopus56
Subject: Re: Green Laser a Weapon?
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Czar7 wrote:
> Since when did a green laser become a "weapon"?
Never has been. Note the AP article said that the helicopter pilot was
temporarily unable to see his instruments. This is consistent with
"flash blindness" that can be caused by green presentation pointers at
distances of less than 1000ft. This is the same effect you get when an
oncoming car passes you with its high-beam headlights on.
See my webdoc on the safe use of Class IIIA green presentation pointers
and also listing some of the applicable regulations -
An Informal Comparison of the Relative Brightness of an Astronomy Green
Laser Pointer and a Car Headlight
http://members.csolutions.net/fisherka/astronote/observed/Glptst/index.html
- Canopus56
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Date: 01 Aug 2006 21:10:35
From: Sam Wormley
Subject: Re: Green Laser a Weapon?
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Czar7 wrote:
> <Snip>
>
> Laser Pointer Hits NYPD Helicopter
> By Associated Press
> 2 hours ago
>
> NEW YORK - A 19-year-old man was arrested after authorities said he
> shined a laser pointer at a police helicopter.
>
> The bright green laser beamed into the cockpit late Monday night,
> temporarily blinding the officers, said Melissa Klein, an NYPD
> spokeswoman.
>
> Police arrested Anthony Pepe a short time later, and charged him with
> reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon, Klein said.
>
> ....
>
> </Snip>
>
> Now, I don't agree with what he did and I have no problem with him
> being arrested, but he is being charged with "criminal possession of a
> weapon"?
>
> Since when did a green laser become a "weapon"?
>
> Ugh....
>
> Dave
>
A >5mw green laser pointer temporarily blinding somebody at
ground to chopper distance seems like a stretch!
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Date: 01 Aug 2006 21:14:08
From: Sam Wormley
Subject: Re: Green Laser a Weapon?
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Sam Wormley wrote:
> Czar7 wrote:
>
>> <Snip>
>>
>> Laser Pointer Hits NYPD Helicopter
>> By Associated Press
>> 2 hours ago
>>
>> NEW YORK - A 19-year-old man was arrested after authorities said he
>> shined a laser pointer at a police helicopter.
>>
>> The bright green laser beamed into the cockpit late Monday night,
>> temporarily blinding the officers, said Melissa Klein, an NYPD
>> spokeswoman.
>>
>> Police arrested Anthony Pepe a short time later, and charged him with
>> reckless endangerment and criminal possession of a weapon, Klein said.
>>
>> ....
>>
>> </Snip>
>>
>> Now, I don't agree with what he did and I have no problem with him
>> being arrested, but he is being charged with "criminal possession of a
>> weapon"?
>>
>> Since when did a green laser become a "weapon"?
>>
>> Ugh....
>>
>> Dave
>>
>
> A >5mw green laser pointer temporarily blinding somebody at
> ground to chopper distance seems like a stretch!
I meant <5mw green laser.
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Date: 02 Aug 2006 09:07:31
From: Czar7
Subject: Re: Green Laser a Weapon?
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canopus56 wrote:
> canopus56 wrote:
> <snip>
>
> Like many states, NY City has a specific ordinance prohibiting the
> directing of presentation pointers at a police officer.
>
> NYC Admin. Code Sec. 10-134.2(e) Regulation of laser pointers.
>
> "It shall be unlawful for any person to direct light from a laser
> pointer at a uniformed police officer, . . . or the marked
> service vehicle of any such individual."
I agree and have no issues with the process or the actions of the
authorities...but the article cleary says...."the criminal possesion of
a weapon". I am just splitting hairs on the symantics, but I would
understand saying the criminal use of a laser pointer, but criminal
possesion of a weapon? If I have a laser pointer in my possesion can
I be arrested in NYC?
Reality check...I know they are not looking for laser pointer carriers
(concealed or otherwise)...but do they have something on the books that
a laser pointer is a weapon and can thus be carried crimminally?
Same vane...is a baseball bat listed as a weapon? I know it can be
used as one...but if you beat someone with it, do they charge you with
criminal possesion of a weapon?
Oh well...back to sweating here in Maryland! 101 on the deck at the
moment...should get 4 or 5 higher by tonight!
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Date: 02 Aug 2006 11:26:41
From: canopus56
Subject: Re: Green Laser a Weapon?
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"Czar7" <czar7@cgi101.com > wrote in message
news:1154534851.875315.161560@h48g2000cwc.googlegroups.com...
<snip >
> I agree and have no issues with the process or the actions of the
> authorities...but the article cleary says...."the criminal possesion of
> a weapon". I am just splitting hairs on the symantics, but I would
> understand saying the criminal use of a laser pointer, but criminal
> possesion of a weapon? If I have a laser pointer in my possesion can
> I be arrested in NYC?
I don't live in NYC and I don't know enough about New York statutes and
ordinances to say. I suspect the ordinance or state criminal statute in
question is something along the lines that if you use an object in a
proscribed manner to harm someone that it is classified as a "weapon." An
example would be that a kitchen knife is something that you cut tomatoes
with and is a not a weapon, but if you use it in a domestic violence
incident to harm another person, it is probably a weapon for that purpose.
The NYC ordinance quoted above does not seem to classify simple possession
of a green laser pointer as a crime _for adults_. It does criminalize the
possession of any laser pointer (red or green) in a public place (a school
or a park) by a minor child under the age of 18 years old. I am not an
attorney and this should not be construed as legal advice.
- Canopus56
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Date: 02 Aug 2006 11:24:41
From: Czar7
Subject: Re: Green Laser a Weapon?
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Makes sense...and it probably makes sense because you are NOT a legal
advisor! :-)
Thanks,
Dave
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Date: 03 Aug 2006 15:24:06
From:
Subject: Re: Green Laser a Weapon?
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Chris L Peterson wrote:
> On 1 Aug 2006 14:03:14 -0700, "Czar7" <czar7@cgi101.com> wrote:
>
> >NEW YORK - A 19-year-old man was arrested after authorities said he
> >shined a laser pointer at a police helicopter.
>
> One of those million candle-power spotlights they sell cheap at the big
> box stores would be a lot more effective if you want to flash blind the
> pilot of a nearby helicopter. And it might still get you arrested, but
> the press (and the police) sensationalize the "laser" part of the
> incident.
Only a measly million candlepower? :-)
A year ago Costco was selling ten (10) million CP spotlights which have
since been superceded by the 15 (fifteen) million CP spotlights. These
are brighter than aircraft landing lights and are great to mount in the
rear
window of one's car with a remote control to "take care of" tailgaters.
:-)
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