Whitehouse wants a laser pointer bill

WARWICK, R.I. (WPRI) - Rhode Island Senator Sheldon Whitehouse has introduced a bill to make the action of shining laser pointers at airplanes a crime.

Whitehouse wants to crack down on those who shine the laser pointers saying the light temporarily blinds airplane pilots, putting themselves and their passengers at risk.

Under the proposed bill, potential violators could be forced to pay a substantial fine or even serve up to 5 years in jail.

Just this month, a Warwick man was sentenced for shining a laser at a descending plane at T.F. Green Airport.

On Monday, September 12th, Joseph Aquino was sentenced to serve 6 months of home confinement and five years probation for shining the laser pointer at a plane last year.

In that case, the pilot did say he was momentarily blinded by the light of the laser as he tried to land the plane in Warwick last year.