Man arrested for discharging fire extinguisher at apartment complex

BY JENNIFER CABRERA

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Matthew Jordan York, 21, was arrested early Saturday morning and charged with criminal mischief and interfering with firefighting equipment after allegedly discharging a fire extinguisher from outside the door of his apartment while his roommates held the door closed.

At about 3:00 a.m. on October 29, York’s roommates reportedly escorted him out of his apartment at Lark Gainesville for being involved in a verbal altercation. Once outside, York allegedly grabbed a fire extinguisher that was mounted in the hall and discharged it underneath his apartment door.

A witness who had just arrived at the apartment complex reportedly told a Gainesville Police Department officer that he saw York discharging the fire extinguisher, yelling, and banging on the door. The roommates reportedly told the officer that they had held the door shut while York was discharging the fire extinguisher and banging on the door.

The officer reported that he found a discharged fire extinguisher in front of the apartment door, with no signs of fire in the area. He wrote that when he made contact with York, York was barefoot and covered in fire extinguisher discharge. The officer also reported that there was damage to the door frame that was apparently caused by York banging on the door.

York has no local criminal history; bail information is not available on weekends, but York has been released from the jail.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.