MV Tokitae.Bob Jensen
A man who pointed a high-powered blue laser at a Washington State Ferry last year has been ordered to pay a $100,000 civil penalty by the US Coast Guard in Seattle.
The civil penalty was issued to Mark Raden of Freeland, Washington, who was determined by Coast Guard investigators to have shot a high-powered blue laser at the ferry Tokitae while it was on a run from Mukilteo to Clinton in October. Raden pointed the laser from the deck of another ship, the Kitsap, which was passing by the Tokitae.
The laser hit the ferry master and first mate of the Tokitae, and the incident resulted in eye injuries to both men.
The chief mate's vision still hadn't recovered fully a week after the laser strike, according to statements by Washington State Ferry officials at the time.
Raden is accused of "violating a safety and security zone" as well as interference with the safe operation of the Tokitae. The fine will be reviewed and finalized by a hearing officer in Arlington, Virginia.
"Firing a laser at a vessel is extremely dangerous and directly interferes with the safe movement of commercial vessels and the Coast Guard’s ability to conduct search and rescue operations," said Joe Raymond, captain of the Port, Sector Puget Sound. "I encourage individuals who witness laser attacks on commercial vessels and Coast Guard small boats and aircraft to call 911."
The October incident was the first laser strike to affect a Washington State Ferry. News reports said the suspect was caught because a deck hand on the Kitsap saw two men using the laser and identified them to the Washington State Patrol after the ferry docked.
A $100,000 fine is nothing to sneeze at, but Raden may want to count himself lucky to only be facing a civil allegation.
In recent years, laser strikes against aircraft have increasingly led to criminal prosecutions and prison sentences.