Convicted felon George Arthur Byrd IV claims the only way he knew how to empty his gun was by firing it.
Credit: Middletown Twp. Police
Byrd, 31, of Penndel, was arrested after a Middletown Township police investigation revealed a bullet he fired went through the rear window of a house and another hit a fence on Friday, according to court papers.
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The resident of a Adams Avenue house told police she heard gunshots in the neighborhood around 12:20 p.m. and later noticed a rear window was shot out, police said.
About an hour later, the Adams Avenue resident saw a man at the house behind her step into the rear doorway and fire a gun toward her home before he went back inside, according to court papers. The rear neighbor’s house was located in the 400 block of Jefferson Avenue.
Further investigation revealed, a bullet was lodged between the home’s vinyl siding and the plywood sheathing and another went through a wooden fence, according to police. Detective Patrick Nicastro said that the trajectory indicates that the second bullet went through the side fence and entered the ground.
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Several officers went to the house and detained Byrd, who initially denied having any firearms. Police said they then cleared the house to make sure there were no armed subjects waiting inside. Court papers say that an officer did note handgun ammunition in the house.
A search warrant was obtained and police found a .357 revolver, a 12-gauge shotgun and a long-rifle in the home.
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Byrd said he didn’t know how to unload the gun so he fired it, according to Nicastro.
A review of Byrd’s court record showed investigators that the 31 year old was convicted of felony first degree burglary years ago and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Byrd was arraigned Friday night on three counts of felony possession of a prohibited firearm, a single count of felony discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure and several related charges.
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Editor’s Note: All individuals arrested or charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The story was compiled using information from police and public court documents.
