SANTA ANA, Calif. — A Laguna Niguel man was sentenced Monday to nine years in federal prison for repeatedly firing a semi-automatic rifle at an Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter during a tense 2024 standoff, federal prosecutors said.
Law enforcement officials stated that Justin Derek Jennings intended to shoot down the helicopter.
Jennings, 41, received a 108-month prison sentence from U.S. District Judge John W. Holcomb after pleading guilty.
In a sentencing memorandum, federal prosecutors described the offense as “violent and disturbing conduct” that placed numerous lives at risk.
Jennings repeatedly shot at an OCSD helicopter from a second-story window with the goal of shooting it down,” prosecutors wrote.
Quick Facts
- Defendant: Justin Derek Jennings, 41, of Laguna Niguel
- Sentence: 108 months (9 years) in federal prison
- Charge: Attempting to damage, destroy, disable, or wreck an aircraft
- Incident Date: March 9, 2024
- Location: Laguna Niguel, California
- Agency Targeted: Orange County Sheriff’s Department helicopter
- Investigating Agencies: FBI and Orange County Sheriff’s Department
- Federal Judge: John W. Holcomb
In August 2025, Jennings admitted that he attempted to damage, destroy, disable or wreck an aircraft operating within the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court records, Jennings opened fire on an OCSD helicopter from a second-story window of his Laguna Niguel home on March 9, 2024.
Federal prosecutors said Jennings had been celebrating his birthday with family members and drinking before retrieving a rifle from a gun safe and firing an entire magazine inside the residence. Family members fled the home and contacted law enforcement.
Orange County sheriff’s deputies responded to the scene along with an OCSD helicopter that circled overhead.
Prosecutors said Jennings then moved to a second-story window and began firing upward, shooting only when the helicopter came into view.
Authorities said the gunfire continued intermittently for at least 20 minutes.
After speaking with an Orange County sheriff’s deputy, Jennings exited the residence and surrendered without further incident.
A subsequent search of the home uncovered numerous firearms, rifles and ammunition. Investigators also found spent shell casings scattered throughout the residence, along with ammunition magazines and a box of ammunition positioned beneath the window from which Jennings fired.
The Orange County District Attorney’s Office initially filed charges related to the incident but later dismissed the case to allow federal prosecutors to proceed.
The FBI and the Orange County Sheriff’s Department investigated the case.