Teen Arrested for Allegedly Trying to Hit Police Helicopter With Fireworks

A Tennessee teenager has been arrested and is now facing charges after he allegedly launched a [...]

By Allison Schonter

A Tennessee teenager has been arrested and is now facing charges after he allegedly launched a firework at a police helicopter. John Schmid, 18, of Franklin, Tennessee, was booked into the Davidson County Jail Saturday morning on several charges, including endangering police, for the incident that occurred in Nashville, Tennessee over the Fourth of July weekend.

According to Metro Nashville Police, and as reported by local outlet WBIR 10 News, the incident occurred Friday night off Haywood Lane in Nashville as the Air One helicopter with two people aboard was flying at about 500 feet in an effort to thwart street racing. At one point during the evening, a detective said they saw the male suspect looking up at the police helicopter before they went to their car to get a mortar tube. The man then fired a firework at the helicopter, but missed. Authorities, who identified Schmid as the suspect, then attempted to flee the scene, though he was taken into custody by an officer who soon arrived at the scene. During a search, police found additional mortar tubes and fireworks in the trunk of the car Schmid attempted to leave in, and the bomb squad was called in to remove the fireworks.

Schmid was booked into the Davidson County Jail on the morning of Saturday, July 3 and is facing charges of reckless endangerment with a deadly weapon, and two counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon on an officer/responder. His bond was set at $25,000. No additional information has been provided at this time.

The Friday incident was just one of several to take place in Middle Tennessee during the July 4th weekend. The Nashville Fire Department and Metro Nashville Police are currently investigating after Nashville's downtown "Let Freedom Sing!" fireworks show began before all police personnel were out of the blast zone. Butch Spyridon, the president and CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corporation, said during a news conference Monday that police were called into the blast zone after "Fire Marshal teams spotted some individuals in the Bridge Building." In a statement released Monday afternoon, Metro police said that "while the officers were still in the building and the helicopter remained close by, a security guard apparently relayed to an NFD employee that he was the last one in the building," and the message was then "relayed to start the fireworks show." The eight SWAT members still in the building sheltered in place, and the "helicopter crew took immediate action to quickly move away."

Nobody was hurt in the incident. According to Metro PD, "no charges were placed against the four persons cleared from the building last night, although their actions continue to be under review as part of an open investigation." The Nashville Fire Department is "leading the review of the miscommunication that caused this situation."

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