File photo: US President Donald Trump gestures to members of the media before walking to Marine One (Picture credit: AP)
A 33-year-old Washington, DC man has been arrested and charged with a federal felony after allegedly pointing a laser pointer at Marine One as US President Donald Trump departed the White House on Saturday evening.According to a criminal complaint, Jacob Samuel Winkler was seen shirtless and talking loudly to himself on Constitution Avenue near the Ellipse when he was noticed by a uniformed Secret Service officer, Diego Santiago. As per NBC News, Santiago shone his flashlight towards Winkler to observe him more closely. Winkler allegedly retaliated by shining a red laser beam directly into the officer’s eyes, briefly disorienting him.The complaint states that Winkler then aimed the same laser at Marine One, which was flying low near the Washington Monument. Santiago later wrote that the action “posed a risk of flash blindness and pilot disorientation, especially during low-level flight near other helicopters … This placed Marine One at risk of an airborne collision”, as per the New York Times.Santiago detained Winkler at the scene, removed the laser pointer, and placed him in handcuffs. According to court filings cited by NBC News, Winkler fell to his knees and repeatedly said phrases such as, “I should apologise to Donald Trump” and “I apologise to Donald Trump.” Investigators also found he was carrying a three-inch fixed-blade knife.In questioning, Winkler admitted to pointing the laser at the helicopter but claimed he was unaware it was illegal. He told investigators he points the device “at all kinds of things, such as stop signs”, as per CBS News.US Attorney Jeanine Pirro, the top prosecutor in Washington, DC, condemned the act, and was quoted by news agency AP as saying, “This behaviour endangers Marine One and everyone on board. If you engage in this act, you will be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law”.Pointing a laser at an aircraft is a federal offence punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. In addition, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) may impose civil fines of up to $32,000.The New York Times reported that Trump was travelling to Mount Vernon, George Washington’s Virginia estate, to address the American Cornerstone Institute when the incident took place.The FAA has described laser strikes on aircraft as a “serious safety threat,” warning they can incapacitate pilots. The agency has already recorded 5,913 laser incidents across the United States this year, with six causing injuries.Winkler appeared in court on Monday.
