Man Arraigned Tuesday for Firing Shot Into Air and Possession of Meth

A man police say fired a gunshot into the air during a domestic disturbance in Killeen was arraigned Tuesday.

Charles Hawthorne Jr., 33, was arrested Sunday after a 911 call was received from a home in the 2500 block of Lain Drive in Killeen. During the call, the operator heard a gunshot while speaking with the woman who’d placed the call. A police officer three blocks away heard the shot as well.

When police arrived at the home, three witnesses told them Hawthorne had fired a shot into the air, and Hawthorne admitted to firing the shot. Police later recovered a .40-calibur shell casing they say came from Hawthorne’s .40-calibur Rugar.

Officers also spotted a clear plastic bag containing suspected drugs and a pipe in the center console of Hawthorn’s Chevrolet Avalanche. Hawthorne admitted to officers that he’d been in the vehicle shortly before they arrived. The substance in the bag tested positive as methamphetamine.

Hawthorne was arraigned Tuesday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, less than 1 gram, and discharging a firearm. He is being held in the Bell County Jail with bail set at $25,000.