True Patriot Arrested for Shooting Off Illegal Fireworks Because "This Is America"

An Iowa man was arrested after telling police he would continue to light illegal fireworks "because this is America."

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If you asked most Americans, the Fourth of July is really about people exercising their God-given right to shoot off colorful explosives while celebrating the land of the free and the home of the brave. One such hero tried to participate in this time-honored tradition but soon found himself behind bars with a handful of charges to match.

22-year-old Quinnlan R. O’Meara was taken into custody after firing off both fireworks and his mouth at police on July 3. PerKWQC, authorities were called around 4 a.m. for a noise compliant, and when they arrived they found O’Meara with a bunch of illegal fireworks. They quickly confiscated the explosives and warned him that he would be arrested if he shot off any more of them.

O’Meara obviously didn’t listen, and police were called back to the scene after another round of complaints. They caught him strolling out of his apartment "holding a firework in one hand and a lighter in the other."

According to a police report, O’Meara told officers that he planned to light a roman candle in front of his door. He also allegedly said that when he got out of jail, he would light another firework "with a blunt in his mouth because this is America." It’s unclear whether or not this was before or after police asked him to take a breathalyzer test to which he responded "that he would take a preliminary go [expletive] yourself test."

Authorities soon hauled him off to jail and charged him with public intoxication, disorderly conduct, and using those illegal fireworks. 

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