A Lakeland man who directed a green laser light at a Polk County Sheriff’s Office helicopter last November, was federally indicted on Wednesday on one count of interference with the operation of an aircraft.
Mark Clay Hazlitt, 58, was taken into custody by U.S. marshals at his home in Lakeland this morning, without incident and transported to a federal holding facility.
On November 21, 2010, as deputies initiated a ground and air search for a distraught and possibly suicidal individual who fled the area of Clubhouse Road in the Island Walk subdivision, a PCSO helicopter was flashed with a green laser light from the ground. The laser disoriented the pilot and flight observer. The pilot subsequently pinpointed the location of the laser light and responded to 2870 Chatsworth Lake in Lakeland where they encountered Hazlitt. Deputies say Hazlitt admitted to directing the laser light toward the helicopter saying he was “tired of hearing it.”
Hazlitt was arrested and charged with Misuse of a Laser Lighting Device, a third degree felony. He bonded out of jail on November 22, 2010. State charges were later formally dropped in lieu of the federal indictment, which was secured on January 11, 2011.
Commenting on today’s indictment, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd had this to say: “Mr. Hazlitt deliberately interfered with a search in which deputies were trying to locate a man who said he was going to take his life. The laser used was strong enough to disrupt night vision devices thus creating a very real danger to our air unit crew. He deliberately placed the lives of our pilot and flight observer in jeopardy, as well as those on the ground had the helicopter crashed. Hazlitt’s behavior was reckless and his actions felonious. We will not tolerate anyone placing the lives of our deputies or residents in danger.”
