Orange County man arrested for trying to shoot down sheriff's helicopter after birthday party

A man has been arrested on a federal grand jury indictment that alleges he repeatedly fired at an Orange County Sheriff's Department helicopter in March after his party ended. anniversary “acrimoniously,” according to federal prosecutors.

Justin Derek Jennings, 39, of Laguna Niguel, was charged with attempting to damage, destroy or disable an aircraft after a chaotic incident on March 9, according to a news release from the U.S. Department of Justice.

Court documents say Jennings and his family were celebrating his birthday party and he was allegedly drinking when he “became enraged.”

“As his outburst intensified, the family members present left the house,” the court statement said. “After most of his family left, Jennings allegedly removed a rifle from his safe and fired an entire magazine of ammunition inside the home.”

It also allegedly caused the rest of the family to leave the home, with some members reporting the incident to law enforcement, prosecutors said.

That’s when OCSD deputies and a department helicopter responded to the scene.

“Jennings then allegedly went to the second floor of the house and began firing a rifle upward into the sky, firing only when the helicopter was visible to him,” the statement continued. “The shooting continued intermittently for at least 20 minutes.”

Jennings eventually left the home and turned himself in after speaking with a deputy.

Investigators seized two revolvers, two handguns and two rifles, along with several rounds of ammunition, from Jennings' home during a search, prosecutors said.

They also found bullet casings scattered on the floor of the home and two magazines and a box of ammunition were found on a couch under the window from which Jennings allegedly fired, the DOJ statement said.

If convicted, he faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

The FBI and OCSD assisted in the investigation of the case.