An Arizona man has been sentenced to nine days in prison and three years of supervised release for pointing a laser at Air Force planes in 2021.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Glenwood Arthur Bringle, 56, of Bagdad, Arizona, agreed to a plea deal in February that involved giving up multiple weapons and lasers recovered during the incident.
Prosecutors say Bringle aimed a laser pointer at two F-16 fighter jets on October 5, 2021, when they were conducting military operations in the desert near Bringle’s home. Authorities claim the lasers interfered with the pilots’ ability to see and fly the jets.
Earlier last month, a convicted felon in Phoenix was detained after police claimed he purposefully directed a laser at a police helicopter.
According to an Arizona Family Investigates report from 2024, laser strikes in the state were on the rise, with airliners and military aircraft becoming regular targets.