Columbia Falls Man Sentenced Prison Laser Pointing Helicopter

Two separate incidents involving individuals pointing laser pointers at aircraft have resulted in federal convictions and prison sentences. Travis Kurt Myers, a Columbia Falls man, was sentenced to eight months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and fined $15,000 after pleading guilty to aiming a laser pointer at a helicopter; the case involved Myers firing shots and pointing a laser-mounted firearm at a police helicopter during a 2024 incident, with authorities discovering numerous firearms and an unregistered silencer at his residence. Myers also received a lifetime ban on owning firearms and ammunition and has completed a drug and alcohol treatment program. In an unrelated case, Joshua Johnson of St. Louis was federally convicted for pointing a blue laser pointer at a Metro Air Support police helicopter, temporarily blinding the pilots; he faces sentencing and had initially denied the accusation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office reported over 12,000 laser strikes on aircraft in 2024, highlighting the ongoing dangers posed by such actions. Both cases were investigated by federal and local law enforcement agencies, underscoring the seriousness with which laser incidents targeting aircraft are treated.