A 43-year-old woman, Amanda McDonald, was taken into custody by the Metro Nashville Police Department after allegedly pointing a laser at a police helicopter. FOX 17 News reports that McDonald is facing two counts of aggravated assault on police officers, arising from the laser being aimed at the cockpit as the helicopter passed over Cheyenne Boulevard.
The arrest, which unfolded just before midnight on Saturday, also uncovered three outstanding probation violations. Lasers are known to potentially impair pilots' sight, representing a significant hazard for anyone in the aircraft at the time of such an incident. This dangerous aspect of the act was what led to the aggravated assault charges.
According to details from WKRN, authorities were dispatched to the apartment complex on the 600 block of Cheyenne Boulevard in response to the incident. Upon their arrival, they encountered two individuals by a dumpster. While one individual was found with only a flashlight, McDonald was identified as the suspect and was met with the discovery that she had already been sought on several outstanding warrants.
During the arrest, she reportedly dropped a silver device, a blue light laser, which was identified as matching the device used to shine a laser beam into the helicopter's cockpit. "The pilot said the blue laser 'impaired his vision as well as his partner's, which placed them in fear of serious bodily injury,'" WKRN quoted from the court documents. McDonald's attire at the time of her arrest, described as all red or pink, was consistent with the description given by the affected pilot.
Following the embroilment, McDonald finds herself held in Metro Jail on a $50,000 bond, confronting both the new charges related to the laser pointing incident and her prior probation violations. The authorities stress the gravity of such offenses, indicating a low tolerance for actions that jeopardize the safety of officers and the public.
