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A 41-year-old Edmonton man faces numerous charges including assault with a weapon after a laser struck a police helicopter over the weekend.

On Saturday just after 2 a.m., Edmonton Police Service’s Air 1 was flying over the north side of the city when the helicopter was struck several times by a blue laser, police said in a Wednesday news release.

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Generally, the helicopter patrols at 305 or 366 metres off the ground. The helicopter was on routine patrol when the laser hit.

The pilot was able to locate where the laser was coming from and notify patrol officers who arrested a male suspect.

Christopher Horon, 41, is charged with assault with a weapon, mischief and breach of probation.

“Pointing a laser or any other projected light at any aircraft could result in criminal charges and/or penalties under the Canadian Aviation Regulations,” said Sgt. James Pennie with the EPS flight operations unit. “As you can see in the images taken by Air 1, the laser can be quite blinding to the human eye and could impose serious safety risks to our members operating the aircraft.