Atlanta police helicopter hit by laser, man arrested

ATLANTA - Atlanta police arrested a man who they said hit its air unit with a laser. APD was flying about 1,000 feet over Atlanta early Sunday morning when it happened

Police released video of the incident. It can be clearly heard the pilots telling the dispatch, "We're getting hit by lasers. He's continuously hitting me in the face with the laser."

Video shows the bright green light pointed directly at the helicopter as it flew over Downtown Atlanta early Sunday morning.

"As soon as it hit me, I turned to the right and I could see it striking us," said Officer Eric Lightkep, who was piloting the aircraft at the time.

"If it hits you directly in the face, it makes you lose your eyesight, even if it's just for a few seconds, and when you're up there operating the aircraft, it can lead to a dangerous situation," said Officer William Treadwell who was operating the camera in the chopper.

From the air, they were able to pinpoint the exact location of where the laser was coming from.

"As soon as he shined it at us, it's a direct line to his position. We had him instantly on camera," said Officer Lightkep.

Jamal Bard

In a well coordinated display of teamwork, officers on the ground moved in and arrested Jamal Bard. Investigators said he had a handgun with a laser mounted on it. Bard was charged with two counts of aggravated assault on a peace officer, laser use against an aircraft, laser use against law enforcement, and cruelty to children. Police said the last charge was because he used the laser in the presence of a young child.

"It's dangerous for us, it's not something you can do, and we don't take it lightly," said Officer Treadwell.

This is the second case of lasers targeting law enforcement in metro Atlanta in the past couple of weeks. Gwinnett County police arrested a 30-year-old man for targeting their helicopter with a laser.