The incident happened Saturday night in Old Town. Lasers can be dangerous because they can temporarily blind pilots.
The officers flying the helicopter notified police on the ground, and the men were apprehended on a rooftop. They were identified as Alvin Kang, 25, of Northbrook; Mark Lawrence, 25, of Winnetka; and Jeremy Smith, 24, of Skokie.
Each was charged with two misdemeanor counts of pointing a laser at an officer.