Prison sentence upheld for man who pointed laser at KC police helicopter

A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld the prison sentence for a man who pointed a laser at a Kansas City police helicopter.

Attorneys for Jordan Clarence Rogers argued that the judge who sentenced Rogers to three years in federal prison erred in enhancing his sentence for reckless behavior.

But the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Tuesday rejected the argument.

Rogers, 27, was sentenced last year and is scheduled to be released from prison next January, according to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.

In the 2013 incident, Rogers pointed the laser at the helicopter three times and the pilot later reported that he suffered “eye strain” for several hours, according to federal prosecutors.

This story was originally published February 6, 2018 at 11:23 AM with the headline "Prison sentence upheld for man who pointed laser at KC police helicopter."