Yavapai County Superior Court Jury convicts Prescott man of endangerment

On December 2, 2009, at approximately 11:30 p.m. an Arizona DPS Air Rescue Helicopter was assisting the Prescott Police Department with a search for two armed robbery suspects in Prescott, Arizona. During the search, the crew of the Kingman based DPS Air Rescue helicopter was “lased” by someone in a residential neighborhood.

The suspect directly pointed a “handheld laser” at the aircraft and crew an estimated 15 to 20 times. The laser beam drastically affected the night vision of the crew. At one point the laser was directly in the eyes of the pilot endangering the crew and aircraft. The pilot was able to maintain control of the aircraft.

The crew was able to direct Prescott Police officers to the location of the suspect.

On April 29, 2010, a Yavapai County Jury found Clint Jason Brenner, 36, of Prescott, guilty of two counts of Endangerment, a class six felony.

Brenner will be sentenced May 24, 2010. He faces a minimum of 1.5 years and a maximum of 3 years in prison for each count.