BAZETTA TOWNSHIP, Ohio - The Trumbull County Sheriff's Department filed charges Wednesday morning against Jim McElroy of Broken Horn Rodeo. McElroy is charged with felony 4 discharging fireworks without a proper permit. McElroy lives out of town so they will ask him to turn himself in to avoid needing to issue a warrant.
As fair workers packed up and prepared to leave, 76-year-old Allen Smith was scheduled to undergo surgery.
The mounted deputy was patrolling the Trumbull County Fair on Friday when witnesses say some fireworks set off during a rodeo show put on by Broken Horn Rodeo allegedly spooked the horse Smith was riding.
"They threw a popper. The horse spooked, went straight up, and knocked him off. He fell to the ground and from what I understand his injuries were broke a few ribs, punctured a lung, broke his shoulder," said Jan Solomon, Trumbull Fair Board Secretary.
Solomon tells 21 News that no one took out a permit to use fireworks. She said the accident could have been prevented and added that if too close to fireworks any horse, no matter how well trained, can be spooked.
"Everybody would have known when the fire works would have been shot off and they wouldn't have been almost on top of them when they did go off. There is a safety line and there is a reason for it," Solomon said.
21 News reached Jim McElroy by phone. He says the fireworks are part of a patriotic opening and close to his show.
He feels terrible anyone was hurt. McElroy says people have said the deputy's saddle was not secured properly and was under the horse.
The Rodeo operator adds he has trained horses for a few police department's mounted units and adds a horse for a mounted unit should not bolt at firecrackers going off or even with shots being fired.
All content © Copyright 2000 - 2013 Worldnow and WFMJ. All Rights Reserved. For more information on this site, please read our Privacy Policy and Terms
