Jacob Samuel Winkler is accused of flashing a red laser beam at Marine One while US President Donald Trump was on board the aircraft.
A man accused of shining a laser pointer at the US presidential helicopter Marine One while Donald Trump was on board has been arrested on a federal criminal charge.

Jacob Samuel Winkler, 33, of Washington, is charged with aiming the beam of a laser pointer at an aircraft, a felony punishable by a maximum prison sentence of five years.

Marine One was airborne on Saturday near the White House when a US Secret Service patrol officer spotted Winkler walking on a sidewalk, topless and talking to himself, according to an affidavit written by the agent.

The officer said he shone a flashlight at Winkler, who apparently retaliated by flashing a red laser beam at the officer's face.

As Marine One flew overhead, Winkler looked up and shone the laser pointer at the helicopter, according to the officer. After the officer handcuffed him, Winkler repeatedly talked about apologising to the US president, the affidavit states.

The court filing does not say if anybody aboard the helicopter noticed the laser.

But the officer said Winkler's conduct could have temporarily blinded or disoriented a pilot, placing Marine One at risk of an airborne collision with other aircraft in the area, according to US Attorney Jeanine Pirro.

"This behavior endangers Marine One and everyone on board," Pirro said in a statement. "If you engage in this act, you will be identified and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."

Winkler told investigators that he pointed the laser "at all kinds of things, such as stop signs," and didn't know he could not aim it at Marine One, according to the affidavit.

Investigators also found a small knife in his possession, said the officer in question.