A police officer in the Town of Tonawanda is facing charges under state environmental conservation law after an incident involving a longbow resulted in an arrow striking a neighbor's home. Officer Nicholas Czerwinski, who was off duty at the time, reportedly shot arrows at a target set up in his yard when one arrow veered off course and became lodged in the side of a neighboring residence.
The incident occurred around 2:30pm on August 13th. According to reports, the neighbor discovered a letter from Czerwinski apologizing for the mishap after finding the arrow embedded in the rear of his home about 8-10 feet off the ground.
While Czerwinski managed to remove the shaft of the arrow, the metal tip remained lodged in the siding. No injuries were reported and the neighbors expressed they did not want Czerwinski to lose his job or be charged criminally over the incident. However, they did request that he cover the $380 cost of repairs to their home.
Following the incident, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department initiated a criminal investigation. Czerwinski was asked to come in for questioning but declined to answer questions through his attorney. Czerwinski could have faced charges of second-degree reckless endangerment and fourth-degree criminal mischief, both misdemeanors, but the homeowners opted not to pursue criminal charges against him.
Instead, they supported charging him with the violation of environmental conservation law for discharging a longbow within 150 feet of a dwelling. As part of the investigation, Czerwinski was ordered to surrender his longbow. The case is expected to be transferred from Tonawanda Town Court to another municipal court due to Czerwinski's position as an officer.
Police Officer Charged After Arrow Strikes Neighbor's Home