It is never a good idea to brandish a weapon of any kind at a police officer, but unfortunately a Maryland teen is learning that lesson the hard way.

A Prince George’s County teen is being charged as an adult after he allegedly fired his BB gun at an off duty police officer on Friday.

BB guns are a type of air gun designed to shoot projectiles named BBs after the birdshot pellet of approximately the same size. These projectiles are usually spherical but can also be pointed/or triangular; those are usually used for bird hunting.

The officer says he was in his police cruiser in Laurel, Maryland on Friday evening when he heard something hit up against his driver’s side door, just beneath the window. That’s when the officer, believing that he was being shot at, requested a search.

Police searching the area arrested 16 year old Andre Rivers at a nearby intersection and recovered a BB gun. Rivers was charged with first-degree assault and other related charges.

There was no mention in the report of a reason provided by the teen as to why he was firing shots at the Maryland police officer.

He is being held on a $75,000 bond.

The officer was not injured.

Do you believe the teen should be charged with first degree assault? Should the teen be charged as an adult, as he is now? Or should the charges reduced to second degree assault? What should be the teen’s punishment?

Read more: Your Black World