A man attempted to blind the pilot of U.S. President Donald Trump’s helicopter with a laser pointer.
NBC News reported the incident, which occurred in Washington as the helicopter, with Trump on board, was taking off. A Secret Service officer noticed a half-naked man yelling from the bushes.
“Due to the lack of light on the sidewalk, Officer Santiago shined a flashlight on the suspect for further observation. The suspect then shined a red laser beam at Officer Santiago’s face, apparently in retaliation. The beam hit Officer Santiago’s eyes and briefly disoriented him,” the report stated.
The officer approached the suspect, later identified as Jacob Samuel Winkler, who was aiming the laser at the Marine One helicopter.
“His conduct created a risk of sudden vision loss and pilot disorientation, especially while flying at a low altitude near other helicopters and the Washington Monument. This created a risk of a mid-air collision for Marine One,” a court filing said.
The man was detained, and a search of his person revealed a knife. He faces up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for his actions.
