A former BET network personality was charged with possession of a .37 mm launcher after authorities said he used it to shoot flares into the sky during a New Year’s celebration in Northwest Washington.

Actor, rapper and television personality Algernon J. “Jay” Cooper III, who hosted the network’s popular “Teen Summit” show, was charged with carrying a dangerous weapon and released from D.C. Superior Court on his own recognizance. Cooper, 26, was scheduled to return to court for a preliminary hearing Jan. 21.