Welcome to Arrest Stories. A thirty-three-year-old man faces federal charges after allegedly shining a laser pointer at Marine One helicopter while President Trump was aboard, creating what officials called a serious aviation safety risk. Here's what may have happened.
On Saturday evening in Washington DC, Jacob Samuel Winkler was walking shirtless along Constitution Avenue near the Ellipse, loudly talking to himself when he caught the attention of a Secret Service officer. According to the criminal complaint filed Monday, when the officer illuminated Winkler with a flashlight, the suspect retaliated by aiming a red laser pointer directly at the officer's eyes, briefly disorienting him.
But the situation escalated dramatically when Marine One helicopter took off from the White House south grounds with President Trump aboard, heading to Mount Vernon where the president was scheduled to give a speech to the American Cornerstone Institute. As the presidential helicopter flew overhead, Winkler looked up and pointed his laser beam directly at the aircraft.
Officials stated this behavior "placed Marine One at risk of an airborne collision" and "endangers Marine One and everyone on board." The suspect was immediately taken into custody, getting on his knees while being handcuffed.
During questioning, Winkler told investigators he regularly "points the laser at all kinds of things, such as stop signs" and claimed he didn't know he couldn't aim it at Marine One. He reportedly told officers "I should apologize to Donald Trump."
This incident represents one of five thousand nine hundred thirteen laser strikes reported across the nation in twenty twenty-five, with six causing injuries. The federal felony charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and fines up to two hundred fifty thousand dollars, plus potential FAA penalties reaching thirty-two thousand dollars.
Federal prosecutors warned that "if you engage in this act, you will be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
All suspects presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Do not take this report as factual, always verify facts. Thanks for watching Arrest Stories.