U.S. authorities have charged a 33-year-old man for endangering Marine One, the presidential helicopter, after he allegedly pointed a laser at it while President Donald Trump was onboard.
According to a court filing on Monday, Jacob Samuel Winkler was spotted aiming a red laser beam from the sidewalk outside the White House as Marine One lifted off on Saturday.
A Secret Service officer quickly identified him, leading to his arrest.
Officials said Winkler’s action carried a serious risk. The affidavit noted that the laser could have caused flash blindness or disoriented the pilot, especially during low-level flight near other helicopters and landmarks like the Washington Monument.
Such interference, authorities stressed, could have triggered a mid-air collision.
Winkler was handcuffed immediately. While being detained, he reportedly fell to his knees and said, “I should apologise to Donald Trump.”
He was later charged with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, a felony that carries up to five years in prison.
In his statement to investigators, Winkler claimed ignorance of the law.
He reportedly told authorities he “did not know he could not point the laser at Marine One” and added that he often pointed it at “stop signs and other objects.”
The filing did not confirm whether Trump, his staff, or the pilots noticed the laser during the flight.
The president was headed to Virginia to deliver a speech at the American Cornerstone Institute when the incident occurred, according to U.S. media reports.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has long warned that lasers pose a major threat to air safety.
Pilots risk being blinded or incapacitated, particularly during takeoff and landing. The FAA reported 5,913 laser incidents across the U.S. so far this year alone.
Winkler’s case highlights growing concerns over the misuse of handheld lasers near airports and restricted zones.
Authorities say such actions, even when claimed as accidents, will be met with strict penalties to safeguard flight operations.
