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No Charges Yet Against Vet Accused of July 4 Machine Gun Prank

Monday, July 8, 2013 02:19 pm EDT

By Frank DeFrank
Of The Macomb Daily

A U.S. military veteran accused of frightening residents when he drove a World War II-era vehicle mounted with a machine gun through a Shelby Township neighborhood is guilty of “poor judgment, at worst,” his lawyer said Monday.

John Henry Lind is free after posting bond late Friday following his arrest in connection with the incident Thursday night on Emma Street.

He is accused of driving the vehicle through the neighborhood as part of a July 4 celebration. Several residents did not know the 50-caliber machine gun mounted to the vehicle had been modified. While it emitted a bright flash and gunfire sounds, the weapon was incapable of firing ammunition.

“At worst, you have poor judgment,” attorney Allen Wolf said. “You don’t have a crime.”

Lind was arrested and jailed overnight Thursday on a miscellaneous assault charge while Shelby Township police sorted out the situation that resulted in his arrest after police dispatchers were overwhelmed with calls from frantic residents reporting a man firing an automatic weapon.

Lind is an honorably charged veteran who served in three branches of the military service, Wolf said: U.S. Marines, U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy.

He displays the tank-like, antique vehicle frequently at celebrations, schools and during other special events, often to raise funds for military causes, Wolf said.

“This is not some crazy guy,” the lawyer said.

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