Orange County man sentenced to 9 years in prison for shooting at O.C. Sheriff's Department helicopter

A 41-year-old man from Laguna Niguel was sentenced to nine years in federal prison for firing a semi-automatic rifle several times at an Orange County Sheriff's Department helicopter.

Justin Derek Jennings pleaded guilty last year to one count of attempting to damage, destroy, disable, or wreck an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.

On March 9, 2024, Jennings and his family were celebrating his birthday from home. Court documents state that he had been drinking and pulled a rifle from his gun safe and fired an entire magazine worth of ammunition inside the home. His family fled and notified law enforcement.

As the O.C. Sheriff's Department responded with deputies and a police helicopter, Jennings moved to the second story of the home and began firing the rifle up towards the sky.

According to prosecutors, the shooting continued intermittently for at least 20 minutes before Jennings surrendered to authorities.

Law enforcement seized numerous firearms and rifles along with multiple rounds of ammunition during a search of his home.

Bullet casings were found scattered about, and two magazines and a box of ammunition that was on a couch immediately beneath the window from where Jennings fired the rifle were also seized.

The Orange County District Attorney's Office charged Jennings in connection with this incident, but dismissed the case so the federal case against him could proceed.