NFL investigating laser pointer use
The NFL is attempting to shed light on who allegedly shined a laser pointer at Buffalo Bills players at Detroit's Ford Field last weekend.
League spokesman Michael Signora said the NFL is investigating the Bills' complaint and attempting to identify the person responsible. Quarterback Kyle Orton and holder Colton Schmidt said they had a laser directed at them during Buffalo's 17-14 win over the Lions on Sunday.
The league will share the results of its investigation with police, Signora said. All four North American major professional sports leagues bar the use of laser pointers at their facilities.
Some Bills fans and others posting about the incident on social networks believe they identified the person responsible after sharing screen shots of tweets bragging about what happened. The Twitter account has been deactivated.
Fans caught using them can be ejected, are subject to being arrested and face the possibility of being banned from entering the facility for any future event.
Detroit police spokesman Sgt. Michael Woody said that in general, laser pointers and their use isn't illegal. Any criminal case, he said, would depend on how the pointer is used and whether it caused any damage.
It was not immediately clear whether the person who posted the tweet was involved in any way or used a real name. On Monday, fans began a campaign on Facebook to have the person linked to the account banned from attending NFL games. The campaign attracted nearly 2,000 likes as of Tuesday morning.
Schmidt said he had the laser pointed at him while holding on a 50-yard field goal attempt that Dan Carpenter banked off the left upright in the third quarter. Carpenter responded to secure the win by hitting a 58-yard attempt with 4 seconds remaining.
The Bills followed NFL protocol during the game by reporting the use of a laser pointer to security officials.
The Lions issued a statement Sunday night saying security officials were unable to identify anyone using a laser.
On Monday, Bills coach Doug Marrone said he's leaving the issue to team president Russ Brandon and the league.
"I think the league will do its job,'' Marrone said, noting he's never been involved in a game during which laser pointers were used. "Obviously, it'll be something that has to be addressed.''
