×
App Icon
The Standard e-Paper
Join Thousands of Readers
★★★★ - on Play Store
Download Now

Man charged with shining laser pointer at Trump helicopter

With U.S. President Donald Trump on board, the Marine One presidential helicopter sprays water from the East River as it lands at the Downtown Manhattan Heliport on September 22, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by CHIP SOMODEVILLA / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

US authorities charged a man who shone a laser pointer at the presidential helicopter as it departed the White House with President Trump aboard, according to a court filing Monday.

A Secret Service officer saw Jacob Samuel Winkler, 33, shine a red laser beam from the sidewalk outside the White House grounds, pointing it at the Marine One helicopter as it took off on Saturday, an affidavit said.

Get Full Access for Ksh299/Week
Uncover the stories others won’t tell. Subscribe now for exclusive access
  • Unlimited access to all premium content
  • Uninterrupted ad-free browsing experience
  • Mobile-optimized reading experience
  • Weekly Newsletters
  • MPesa, Airtel Money and Cards accepted
Already a subscriber? Log in