A Schertz man who admitted pointing a laser at a San Antonio police helicopter was sentenced to more than four years of prison in federal court on Monday.
Justin John Shorey, 37, who is from Schertz, pleaded guilty to aiming the laser at the pilot in November 2019.
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On Feb. 17, 2019, Shorey aimed his laser pointer at the helicopter flying overhead near Highway 90 West, according to a news release. The helicopter was aiding in the search of a shooting suspect.
The laser temporarily blinded the pilot, who was unable to read his gauges.
The pilot was unable to fly for a week due to his injuries, according to a news release.
“Pointing lasers at law enforcement is extremely dangerous and can cause serious injury. This is particularly true when the pilots of an aircraft are involved,” stated U.S. Attorney Sofer. “Today’s 51-month prison sentence demonstrates the seriousness of this offense. We will aggressively prosecute anyone who purposely points a laser at an aircraft, endangering both people in the air and those in our communities on the ground.”
Following his prison sentence, Shorey will be placed on probation for three years.