Upstate Man Arrested for Firing Civil War Cannon at Neighbors
An upstate New York man with an affinity for lawsuits was arrested this week after he fired an unloaded Civil War cannon replica at his neighbors for eight days straight.
Police say 52-year-old Brian Malta fired his replica cannon — loaded with charges but no cannonballs — at his neighbor over a "civil dispute."
Instead of artillery, the charges were apparently held in place by wadded paper or foil. Police say the blasts could be heard miles away.
The cannon aspect has helped the story to go viral, but Malta isn't exactly a stranger to making headlines. In 2005, he and his wife won a federal lawsuit alleging that officials had violated their constitutional rights at a Village Board meeting by telling them they were "out of order" and preventing them from videotaping proceedings.
Malta was released on a $2,500 bail. His attorney, Parker MacKay said Friday that Malta is upstanding citizen and that "the truth will come out in court."
