Federal officers in Portland may have been permanently blinded by lasers

[HCM]

Federal officers in Portland may have been permanently blinded by lasers, officials say

https://www.foxnews.com/us/portland-...VCtG6GRVRSqNJE

At least three federal officers in Portland may not recover their vision after earlier this week demonstrators, who have shown up in crowds of over 1,000 for more than 50 consecutive nights, shined lasers in their eyes and threw fireworks at a federal courthouse, officials said.

When officers responded to put out these fires, glass bottles were thrown and lasers – which can cause permanent blindness – were shined in their eyes,” Cline said. “We have three officers who currently have eye injuries and they may not recover sight in those eyes from those laser attacks.”

Red, green and purple lasers were aimed by rioters at federal officers through the courthouse doors while one group used a strobe light on the building. A commercial-grade mortar firework was fired in the vicinity of the Hatfield Courthouse front doors.

Cline explained that these incendiary fireworks were launched at the courthouse at the same time that rioters had barricaded the front entrance of the courthouse, potentially trapping federal officers inside.

The U.S. Marshals Service also reported communications jamming – the first reported instance since the riots have started -- which may have caused significant problems with their radio communications.

The FDA regulates both medical and non medical lasers in the U.S. however both IR and visible lasers exceeding FDA power restriction are commonly imported illegally by being labeled at a lower power level or not declared.

https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitti...s-about-lasers

Previously this was primarily an issue with aircraft but it is becoming common enough in civil unrest that LE agencies are adding laser eye injuries to use of force and assaulted officer protocols.

Blindness or permanent loss of vision certainly qualifies as serious bodily injury.

How are Agencies handling this issue and what are the implications for use of deadly force in response ?

[vcdgrips]

One of the DHS briefers mentioned the user of lasers and the fact that LEOS are being issued eye protection for it.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

There aren't 'purple' lasers. They are probably referring to a short wavelength laser in the violet range. While short waves appear blue as the wavelength decreases a reddish component appears to some characteristics of the longer wavelength pigment also having a secondary peak in the really short visible range.

Purple, as perceived is not spectral color. It is mixture of blue and red to get a pure 'purple' .

Now laser damage obviously depends on output but shorter wavelengths are more dangerous in general. Use of those should be considered grievous bodily harm and dealt with appropriately. Destruction of photoreceptors is permanent.

[HCM]

One of the DHS briefers mentioned the user of lasers and the fact that LEOS are being issued eye protection for it.

Well, they will when it is available for the GOV to purchase again. Even then it won’t be for everyone, at least not in the foreseeable future.

[El Cid]

Only a matter of time before a LEO shoots someone doing this. It will be legal and within most policies. The media and left wing politicians of course will lose their feeble minds.

[Bergeron]

The FDA regulates both medical and non medical lasers in the U.S. however both IR and visible lasers exceeding FDA power restriction are commonly imported illegally by being labeled at a lower power level or not declared.

https://www.fda.gov/radiation-emitti...s-about-lasers

Previously this was primarily an issue with aircraft but it is becoming common enough in civil unrest that LE agencies are adding laser eye injuries to use of force and assaulted officer protocols.

Blindness or permanent loss of vision certainly qualifies as serious bodily injury.

Thank you for posting this, @HCM. I've been wondering about this exact thing since seeing the fall of Egypt's Sisi, and the associated riots. I generally think that FDA-regulated lasers is a questionable concept, and that lasers can and should have 2nd Amendment sort of protections, coupled with 2nd Amendment sort of responsibilities and consequences.

[trailrunner]

Now laser damage obviously depends on output but shorter wavelengths are more dangerous in general.

This is misleading at best, and false at worst. You can't say one wavelength is "more dangerous" without more specifics.

The eye is most sensitive to middle regions of the visible spectrum, which is why the denial system that we developed, tested, and deployed, used a green laser.

LEOs deployed to riot situations may need to start doing baseline scans. We started doing this about 5 years ago for the engineers that most often worked with lasers.

[Glenn E. Meyer]

There was a treaty to ban laser blinding weapons. Some can look it up. If I recall the conversation from vision world, it was like this. Laser eye damage is usually permanent if the retina is destroyed. There is no rehab as might occur with a physical gun shot wound. Of course, those could have permanent consequences but many don't. Soldiers indicated that they would prefer (bad choice of words) to lose a limb than be blind. Thus the consequences of laser blinding was seen as more inhuman.

Now this story was that a prototype laser weapon was sent to Somalia. The relevant soldiers asked to use it on a sniper but were denied and instead blew him up.

One of the applications of a laser weapon was to rapidly scan areas and vehicles and blind all those using physical optics. The focusing lens of the optics would concentrate the beam right into the foveas of the user. That is a devasting injury as the fovea is a small area that gives the best vision. Destroy that and you are significantly handicapped. Fine vision is gone. Reading with the periphery, even with computer or optical devices, to project larger words into those regions (which have crappy acuity) doesn't work so well as developmentally most of us wire in neural reading paths to foveal vision.

Thus, I would if I had to defend such to get a laser expert ophthalmologist and engineer to explain this history and why the use of such against a person is a grievous bodily harm with appropriate response.

[GJM]

1) hard to see exactly, but the LE guy seems to have a DP Pro on his pistol.

2) I am generally pretty docile, but as a pilot and someone sensitive to bright reflections, if someone intentionally pointed a powerful Laser at my eyes, I would consider that a lethal threat to me.

[rcbusmc24]

There was a treaty to ban laser blinding weapons. Some can look it up. If I recall the conversation from vision world, it was like this. Laser eye damage is usually permanent if the retina is destroyed. There is no rehab as might occur with a physical gun shot wound. Of course, those could have permanent consequences but many don't. Soldiers indicated that they would prefer (bad choice of words) to lose a limb than be blind. Thus the consequences of laser blinding was seen as more inhuman.

Now this story was that a prototype laser weapon was sent to Somalia. The relevant soldiers asked to use it on a sniper but were denied and instead blew him up.

One of the applications of a laser weapon was to rapidly scan areas and vehicles and blind all those using physical optics. The focusing lens of the optics would concentrate the beam right into the foveas of the user. That is a devasting injury as the fovea is a small area that gives the best vision. Destroy that and you are significantly handicapped. Fine vision is gone. Reading with the periphery, even with computer or optical devices, to project larger words into those regions (which have crappy acuity) doesn't work so well as developmentally most of us wire in neural reading paths to foveal vision.

Thus, I would if I had to defend such to get a laser expert ophthalmologist and engineer to explain this history and why the use of such against a person is a grievous bodily harm with appropriate response.

You trying to lecture TrailRunner on Laser systems is rich.....It would be kinda like him lecturing you on Philosophy or whatever mushy subject you teach.....