Portland hospital redirects air ambulances amid laser pointer threat

A call to shine laser lights into the sky in an attempt to disrupt the flight of federal helicopters Over South Portland It raised serious safety concerns and forced a major trauma hospital to redirect air ambulances.

The online post, posted on the home page of Rose City Counter-Info, an “anarchist counter-information platform in so-called Portland, Oregon,” encourages participants to participate in a “laser tag” event targeting federal aircraft.

The post urges individuals to wear masks, coordinate with others, and take steps to avoid identification — including cleaning laser pointers with alcohol, wearing gloves, and removing possible traces of DNA before disposing of them.

As a result of the planned activity, Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU) reported that several air ambulance providers refused to land at the hospital’s rooftop helipad Saturday night, According to KGW.

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Instead, they redirected their helicopters to nearby airports, requiring patients to be transported to Ohio University by ground ambulance — a process expected to add 45 to 60 minutes to travel time.

“For most patients, this would be an acceptable delay. However, for some sensitive cases, such as unstable trauma patients, short-term myocardial infarctions (STEMIs) and strokes, a delay may have real implications,” OHSU said in an email to KGW.

The hospital also advised staff to “incorporate additional transit time into the decision-making process,” and strongly urged the public not to participate in the laser event, calling it “extremely dangerous.”

OHSU later clarified that the decision to divert flights was made by the air ambulance vendors themselves, not the hospital.

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In a statement to Fox News Digital, the Portland Police Bureau (PPB) confirmed that pointing lasers at aircraft puts pilots and people on the ground at risk and is prohibited by state and federal law.

The office added that it “regularly” arrests individuals for… Targeting police aircraft with lasers Including one arrest earlier this week. While police confirmed they were monitoring the Immigration and Customs Enforcement building on Saturday, they said the presence was not larger than usual. Police also reported no laser strikes that night.

The Port of Portland, which oversees general aviation in the region, acknowledged the slight increase in helicopter and helicopter activity.

“We are aware of the high volume of helicopter and helicopter activity over south and southwest Portland,” the port said. “This appears to be related to federal law enforcement and/or military activity and is not a development that the Port of Portland can control.”

Department of Homeland Security The Department of Homeland Security also condemned the call to target aircraft with lasers, warning that this act is a federal crime.

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“Pointing a laser pointer at an aircraft is a federal crime,” Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said in a previous statement to Fox News Digital. “This is extremely dangerous for the aircraft personnel and the safety of the public.” “Domestic Antifa terrorists will not overrun our cities. We will break their networks and bring every one of them to justice.”

Federal officials cited a recent incident as evidence of the risks posed by such actions. On September 30, the Department of Homeland Security reported that four Mexican nationals were still alive In the United States illegally They were arrested in Portland after shining a laser at a US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) helicopter, endangering the crew and people below.

Portland has remained a focal point for demonstrations against federal immigration enforcement, with protests near an Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility continuing for several weeks. In some cases, protesters displayed provocative objects such as guillotines to symbolize opposition to federal actions.

Earlier this week, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visited an ICE facility in Portland, where she prayed with officers dealing with the ongoing unrest.

However, Oregon Gov. Tina Kotick disputed the disputed characterizations of the widespread chaos. “There is no rebellion,” Kotick said, expressing confidence that “local law enforcement will meet this moment.” She added that during her meeting with Noem, she reiterated Oregon’s expectations that DHS and ICE’s operations comply with state law.

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Kotek joins several other Democratic governors who have opposed the Trump administration’s expanded federal enforcement efforts.

Fox News Digital has reached out to OHSU for comment.

Fox News Digital’s Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.

Stephenie Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and immigrant crimes. Send story tips to [email protected].