Jacksonville man arrested after setting off fireworks at 3 a.m.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A Jacksonville man was arrested early Wednesday morning after he was accused of waking up neighbors by setting off a series of fireworks in an Arlington-area subdivision.

The man spent nearly 20 hours in jail before he was released and the charges were dropped, jail records show. The State Attorney’s Office said the charges were dropped at the 29-year-olds appearance “in the interest of justice.”

According to an arrest report, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office started getting calls about loud bangs around 3 a.m. in the Arlington area. Neighbors told police they weren’t sure if the noises were gunfire or fireworks.

“I came out and I asked him nicely if he would stop,” neighbor Michelle Buchanan told News4Jax.

Buchanan then called the cops.

“He was very belligerent,” she said. “He went off on a couple of neighbors telling the neighbors he didn’t have to, it was freedom. And he can do whatever he wants at three o’clock in the morning.”

After the man was released from jail, Buchanan found an invitation on her doorstep.

“Sorry about the fireworks won’t happen again until the 4th. Come by the 4th,” the note read.

JSO said the fireworks caused several phone calls to the JSO non-emergency number, according to the arrest report, which was partially redacted.

Eventually, JSO arrested the 29-year-old man and accused him of discharging fireworks and breach of the peace, both misdemeanors.

If the man had waited just four days, setting the fireworks off from his driveway it would have been legal.

Since the pandemic dampened many of the firework displays last year, a Florida law signed last year was welcomed when Gov. Ron DeSantis opened the skies three times a year, including the Fourth of July, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.

But there could be existing local government and ad HOA regulations could supersede the state law.