A man was charged with a felony after allegedly aiming a laser pointer at Marine One while President Donald Trump was aboard.
Jacob Samuel Winkler was arrested Sunday while walking along a sidewalk, shirtless and loudly talking to himself. When a police officer shined his flashlight at him, Winkler shined a red laser pointer at his face. He then reportedly shined the laser at an aircraft flying overhead — Marine One. He was detained on the spot and could be heard apologizing to Trump, according to an affidavit viewed by the Associated Press.
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The felony charge of aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft is punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Winkler told authorities that he was not aware that he could not point his laser at Marine One and that he shines it at “at all kinds of things, such as stop signs.”
The affidavit did not note if anyone aboard Marine One noticed the laser.
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Laser pointers can blind people at great distances, making their use targeting aircraft especially dangerous. Even momentary exposure could disorient or blind a pilot, risking collisions or crashes.
The incident was the second brush with danger Marine One has experienced in just one week. During Trump’s trip to the United Kingdom last week, the aircraft had to make an emergency landing due to a “hydraulic issue.” The president and first lady Melania Trump were on board at the time of the emergency landing.