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Man Charged With Aiming Laser at Marine One During White House Takeoff

Prosecutors describe a serious flight-safety hazard, citing FAA data on thousands of laser strikes this year.

Overview

  • An on-duty Secret Service agent reports seeing Jacob Samuel Winkler, 33, direct a red laser at Marine One as it lifted off from the White House.
  • Winkler was detained immediately and charged with aiming a laser at an aircraft, a federal crime punishable by up to five years in prison.
  • A sworn statement says the laser posed risks of temporary blindness and pilot disorientation near other helicopters and the Washington Monument.
  • After being handcuffed, Winkler said he should apologize to President Trump and later told authorities he did not realize the act was illegal.
  • The court filing does not say whether anyone aboard noticed the beam, and the FAA has recorded about 5,913 laser incidents this year.