DETROIT (WWJ) – A Wayne County man is behind bars after shining a laser pointer at a Michigan State Police helicopter Saturday night.
Trooper 3 was on patrol above the city when the pilot noticed someone in a top hat and peacoat shining a green laser at the chopper.
Video released by MSP on Sunday shows the suspect and another person standing near the back steps of what the pilot says he believed to be a church.
Officials said Sunday the troopers responding to the scene saw a man in a top hat and jacket pointing a green laser at the ground.
The man, identified as a 52-year-old from Willis – just south of Ypsilanti – had the laser in his possession and was arrested and held at the Detroit Detention Center, pending prosecutor review.
"It's not often we see suspects walking around in top hats, but it did make him easy to identify," MSP First Lt. Mike Shaw said. "We can't stress enough how dangerous it is to point lasers at any aircraft. We will continue to track down those who do this in order to keep our pilots safe."
MSP officials listed the address of the incident as "in the area of 9321 Rosa Parks," near Chicago Boulevard. That is the address listed for The Congregation, which is a former church turned into a popular bar and coffee shop near the Boston-Edison neighborhood.
Many Detroiters donned costumes and took to bars across the city to celebrate Halloween.
