Bakersfield Man Charged with Laser Strikes of Police Helicopter

FRESNO, Calif. — Brett Curtis Hair, 22, of Bakersfield, was arrested today for aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. 

According to the indictment, on Sept. 11, 2024, Hair aimed the beam of a laser pointer at a Kern County Sheriff’s Office helicopter (Air One).

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), laser exposure can result in visual impairment and therefore poses a serious hazard to the safe operation of an aircraft. In 2024, the FAA received 12,840 reports of laser strikes from pilots. 

This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.

If convicted, Hair faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charge is only an allegation; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.