Man charged after firing gun at birthday party, shooting at sheriff's helicopter, prosecutors say

A Southern California man is facing a felony charge after prosecutors say he tried to shoot down a sheriff’s department helicopter after drinking at his birthday party.

The man, 39-year-old Justin Derek Jennings, was charged with one count of attempting to damage, destroy, or disable an aircraft, the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Central District of California said in a news release Monday.

The charges date back to March 9, when Jennings was celebrating his birthday party, the release said. He was drinking and got upset, causing some family members to leave. He grabbed a gun from his gun safe and fired a magazine’s worth of ammunition in the house. More family members left and called the police, the attorney's office continued.

Deputies with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department arrived and a police helicopter flew in circles around the home, the release said. Authorities said Jennings then went to the second level of the home and began shooting towards the sky, “firing only when the helicopter was visible to him.”

Authorities said Jennings kept shooting for at least 20 minutes before eventually speaking to an Orange County sheriff’s deputy and surrendering to authorities.

Officers seize multiple weapons inside home

Authorities searched Jennings’ home and found multiple weapons, including two revolvers, two handguns and two rifles with multiple rounds of ammunition, the U.S. Attorney's Office said.

Bullet casings were found on the floor and authorities also found two magazines and a box of ammunition on a couch beneath the window where the suspect fired his weapon.

Man faces maximum of 20 years in prison

Jennings was arraigned Monday afternoon in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana and pleaded not guilty, the release said. A federal magistrate judge ordered that Jennings be held without bond. He was given a trial date of Aug. 5.

It was not immediately clear who is representing Jennings.

Jennings faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.

The Orange County District Attorney’s Office charged Jennings but dismissed the case so prosecutors could move forward with the federal case against him.

Saleen Martin is a reporter on USA TODAY's NOW team. She is from Norfolk, Virginia – the 757. Follow her on Twitter at@SaleenMartin or email her at[email protected].