American Man Charged with Intentional Laser Pointer Attack on Trump’s Helicopter During Flight
In a recent incident in the United States, a man has been detained and charged with a serious federal crime after deliberately aiming a laser device at Marine One — the helicopter carrying President Donald Trump.
According to NBC, citing investigative materials, the incident occurred on Saturday evening in Washington D.C., when a Secret Service officer spotted a man without a shirt, loudly talking to himself on Constitution Avenue.
The individual was later identified as Jacob Samuel Winkler.
He directed a laser pointer at the presidential helicopter Marine One and activated the beam, which posed a significant safety threat.
Authorities stated that such actions could have blinded or disoriented the pilot, particularly risky during low-altitude flights near other aircraft, including military and police helicopters and government monuments.
This could have resulted in a catastrophic aviation accident.
Law enforcement quickly apprehended the suspect, confiscated the laser device, and handcuffed him.
During a search, officers also found a fixed-blade knife approximately eight centimeters long.
The suspect reportedly knelt and repeatedly said, “I need to apologize to Donald Trump.” During interrogation, he admitted to aiming the laser at Marine One and explained that he often pointed lasers at objects such as road signs and buildings, saying he did not realize it was illegal to aim at aircraft.
It is important to note that pointing a laser at an aircraft constitutes a federal offense in the United States, punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Last month, a man in the U.S.
was also accused of committing a serious crime after allegedly throwing a sandwich at a federal officer during an operation.