(1) A person is guilty of unlawful discharge of a laser
in the first degree if he or she knowingly and maliciously
discharges a laser, under circumstances not amounting to
malicious mischief in the first degree:
(a) At a law enforcement officer or other employee of a law
enforcement agency who is performing his or her official duties
in uniform or exhibiting evidence of his or her authority, and in
a manner that would support that officer's or employee's
reasonable belief that he or she is targeted with a laser
sighting device or system; or
(b) At a law enforcement officer or other employee of a law
enforcement agency who is performing his or her official duties,
causing an impairment of the safety or operation of a law
enforcement vehicle or causing an interruption or impairment of
service rendered to the public by negatively affecting the
officer or employee; or
(c) At a pilot, causing an impairment of the safety or
operation of an aircraft or causing an interruption or impairment
of service rendered to the public by negatively affecting the
pilot; or
(d) At a firefighter or other employee of a fire department,
county fire marshal's office, county fire prevention bureau, or
fire protection district who is performing his or her official
duties, causing an impairment of the safety or operation of an
emergency vehicle or causing an interruption or impairment of
service rendered to the public by negatively affecting the
firefighter or employee; or
(e) At a transit operator or driver of a public or private
transit company while that person is performing his or her
official duties, causing an impairment of the safety or operation
of a transit vehicle or causing an interruption or impairment of
service rendered to the public by negatively affecting the
operator or driver; or
(f) At a school bus driver employed by a school district or
private company while the driver is performing his or her
official duties, causing an impairment of the safety or operation
of a school bus or causing an interruption or impairment of
service by negatively affecting the bus driver.
(2) Except as provided in RCW 9A.49.040, unlawful discharge
of a laser in the first degree is a class C felony.
[1999 c 180 § 3.]