Man arrested in Manatee County for pointing laser at airplane, deputy's patrol vehicle

MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. - A man was arrested in Manatee County on Thursday for pointing a laser at an airplane that was flying into the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport (SRQ), according to the sheriff's office.

According to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office, their Aviation Unit overheard air traffic control from SRQ Airport at around 9:30 p.m. radioing about an incoming aircraft being struck with a green laser light.

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The radio indicated that the source of the laser came from an area near Lakewood Ranch High School. While the Sheriff's helicopter was responding to the report near Lakewood Ranch Boulevard, an additional call came in regarding a citizen being struck by the laser. 

As deputies arrived on the scene, the suspect pointed the laser at a deputy's patrol vehicle. Deputies initiated a traffic stop on the suspect's vehicle, but he refused to exit. 

Deputies can be seen on video approaching the suspect, Nicholas S. Clayton, 35, with guns drawn, before pulling him out of the SUV and forcing him onto the ground.

"They become disoriented. They're operating an aircraft in the air," shared Randy Warren, a Manatee Sheriff's Office spokesperson, describing what happens to a pilot who get hit by a laser. "The potential for a catastrophic incident is there, and we're just thankful that it hasn't come to that. When we see it, and we can find the person doing it, we're going to make an arrest."

Photo courtesy: Manatee County Sheriff's Office

 Clayton, who told deputies he was from South Carolina, was charged with pointing a laser at a driver/pilot and resisting arrest.