Police lieutenant accused of pointing gun at people at July 4th party fired by department

MIAMI TWP. — A member of the Miami Township Police Department has been fired after allegedly threatening his neighbors last month.

Lieutenant Jason Etter has been terminated from employment with the Miami Township Police, a township spokesperson confirmed to News Center 7 on Tuesday morning.

>> PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Police lieutenant accused of pointing gun at over a dozen people, including kids, at July 4th party

As News Center 7 previously, Etter was put on leave for the second time this year in July after an exchange Etter allegedly had with his neighbors, who were having a Fourth of July party and shooting off fireworks.

Perry Township officers wrote in court documents that Etter was drunk when he walked to his neighbor’s home with a rifle slung over his back around 10:30 p.m. on July 6. He allegedly “yelled for the fireworks to stop and said because it triggers his PTSD.”

Etter then started walking back home when another firework went off. At that point, he allegedly turned around, dropped to a knee, and pointed the rifle at the crowd, which included nine children.

He’s since been charged in Montgomery County Municipal Court - Western Division with 17 misdemeanor courts, including one count of weapons while intoxicated and 16 counts of aggravated menacing.

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Etter has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to appear in court later this month.

Etter was also placed on administrative leave in February after being accused of misconduct and failure to uphold the law while serving as the department’s assistant police chief. Weeks later, the Miami Township Board of Trustees demoted Etter from his position of assistant police chief to lieutenant.

The spokesperson said the township “will have no further comment regarding this personnel matter at this time.” In July, they stated they’d conduct “an independent internal investigation of the incident while waiting on the outcome” of his criminal case.

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