Soldier Charged In Laser Attack On Canadian Police Helicopter

A Canadian soldier may have picked the wrong subject for target practice when he allegedly painted a Toronto police helicopter with the laser sight on a pellet pistol. And while the incident serves as a reminder to all those who haven't gotten the message about shining their cheap little lasers at passing aircraft, it's also an illustration of just how effective airborne surveillance has become. The video released by the police tracks the suspect's crime, attempted escape, apprehension and even the recovery of the pellet pistol via high-resolution infrared imagery. The Canadian Army has confirmed that the suspect, Private Nicholas Caranci, 19, is a member of one of its units.

The helicopter was over the Toronto suburb of Vaughan looking for a suspect in another crime when the pilot reported the laser attack. The officers directed their sensor package at the source of the light and the result was a decidedly mismatched game of cat and mouse, followed by step-by-step directions to the hastily discarded pellet pistol. Caranci is facing two criminal charges and a violation of Canadian aeronautical regulations and has probably lost his job. "When an incident, a special circumstance, or a professional deficiency occurs that calls into question the member's suitability for continued service, an administrative review will be initiated to ensure the most appropriate career administrative action is taken," the Army said in a statement.