Photo: Shutterstock A 47-year-old man has been arrested after allegedly shining a laser at a Metro Nashville Police Department helicopter while officers were responding to a fleeing vehicle call.
According to the Metro Police, the incident happened early Saturday morning, August 15. The laser beam was traced to the Castlewood Condos on Harold Drive in Nashville.
Ground officers located the suspect and recovered the laser, according to police. Authorities later identified him as Bradley Powell, 47.
Police said Powell was arrested on two counts of aggravated assault against the police officer flight crew and one count of evidence tampering. The evidence tampering charge relates to an allegation that he attempted to hide the laser in a drawer.
The helicopter was assisting officers during an active fleeing vehicle call when the laser was directed at the aircraft. Police warned that shining a laser at an aircraft can temporarily blind or incapacitate members of the flight crew, potentially putting the crew and others at serious risk.
Earlier this year, we reported on the case of American Airlines Flight 3114 whose cockpit was illuminated by a blue laser during the landing approach at Charlotte Douglas Airport (CLT) in North Carolina.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also warns that laser strikes can cause pilots to experience glare, afterimages and temporary vision problems. In more serious cases, a laser can incapacitate a pilot at a critical moment.
The FAA said pilots reported 10,993 laser strikes in the United States during 2025, underlining the scale of the problem.
Pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal crime, and offenders can face both criminal and civil penalties. The FAA says individuals can face fines of up to $32,646 per violation.
The Nashville case also demonstrates how authorities can trace laser strikes back to their source. In this instance, police said ground units located the suspect and recovered the device after the helicopter crew reported the beam.
Authorities continue to urge people never to point lasers towards aircraft. What may appear to be a harmless laser pointer can become a serious aviation safety threat when directed into an aircraft cockpit.