HORNELL, NY — A 25-year-old man is facing felony charges after police say he intentionally set a vehicle on fire and threatened a firefighter with a knife.
John H. Holiday, of Hornell, was arrested June 29 following an incident the previous day on Canisteo Street.
Police responded to the scene at approximately 1:15 p.m. June 28 for a report of a male who had intentionally set a vehicle on fire.
The vehicle was located near an electrical pole and in close proximity to a building.
When a Hornell firefighter first arrived on scene, Holiday was armed with a knife and threatened the firefighter in an attempt to prevent him from extinguishing the fire, police said.
Officers were able to contain Holiday away from the fire scene, allowing firefighters to extinguish the fire safely.
After a brief standoff, officers were able to de-escalate the situation and convince Holiday to drop the knife.
He was taken into custody without further incident.
Holiday was transported to St. James Hospital for medical evaluation.
After being medically cleared June 29, Holiday was processed and transported to the Steuben County Jail pending centralized arraignment.
He is charged with third-degree arson, a felony; three counts of first-degree reckless endangerment, a felony; second-degree menacing, a misdemeanor; fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a misdemeanor; and obstructing firefighting operations, a misdemeanor.
New York State Police assisted in the incident.
