WASHINGTON
A man was arrested on federal charges Monday for allegedly aiming a laser pointer at Marine One helicopter as it departed the White House with US President Donald Trump on board, the Secret Service said.
Jacob Samuel Winkler, 33, from Washington, DC, was charged with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, a felony carrying up to five years in prison.
The incident occurred Saturday evening when Secret Service officer Diego Santiago spotted a shirtless man behaving loudly and talking to himself on Constitution Avenue near the Ellipse, according to court filings.
As Marine One passed overhead, Winkler allegedly aimed the laser pointer at the helicopter, posing a risk of an airborne collision, the Secret Service officer wrote.
After being handcuffed, Winkler allegedly said he “should apologize to Donald Trump” and told investigators he regularly points the laser at objects like stop signs, unaware it was illegal to aim it at Marine One. Officers also found a small knife in his possession.
The court filing did not indicate whether anyone on Marine One saw the laser, but the officer said Winkler’s actions could have temporarily blinded or disoriented a pilot, endangering the helicopter and nearby aircraft.
