The pilot was returning to base in Mosgiel after completing a hospital transfer to Christchurch, when the cockpit was struck by the laser’s light.
Luckily, the laser did not blind the pilot and he was able to see where it was coming from.
"Due to their quick thinking, the pilot was able to locate the offender and followed the suspect as he entered his car and drove away from his home address along the Thames Highway," Snr Sgt Bond said.
The 39-year-old man drove down the highway, but spotted the helicopter chasing after him and pulled into an NPD service station in Industrial Pl, north of Oamaru.
The offender attempted to hide at the service station. However, the helicopter pilot watched him and notified police of his location.
Officers arrived and located the man.
When police approached his car, they found the laser pointer sitting on the front seat.
The man spoke to officers and told them "he was trying to deter a drone", Snr Sgt Bond said.
He was arrested and charged with endangering transport.
Gale said the incident could have been catastrophic.
"I’m getting sick of it — this could potentially kill."
Shining a laser at a helicopter was "extremely dangerous" and Gale said he had zero tolerance for it.
He said he'd told all his pilots to try to track where a laser was coming from if they were put in the same position.
"I hold no sympathy...I want it dealt with in the strongest possible way.
"They need to understand, we're not actually out flying around in the middle of the night for fun, we're on life-saving missions, protecting lives and when we get some clown that's flying a laser at us - you can get hit in the eye and end up with temporary blindness or permanent blindness.
"Now, that's not good when you're flying a helicopter and we've only got one pilot on board, it's going to be catastrophic. Potentially you lose the helicopter, you kill the pilot, you kill a couple of medics and a doctor and a nurse."
He said he hoped the man getting caught would deter other people from doing the same.
"These offenders are clowns."
The man was bailed to appear in the Oamaru District Court next Wednesday.
- additional reporting RNZ
