In ironic and sad circumstances, the head of the Iowa office of the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms was arrested last week. The charges are drunken driving and several counts of assault – an incident involving alcohol and a firearm.

The man the state selected to lead the agency that regulates liquor, tobacco and guns was allegedly driving while drunk and brandishing a weapon to harass teenagers in Indianola. (No official word yet on whether a cigarette dangled from his lips while this happened.)

The cause for all of this was toilet paper. Jon Carl Petersen, the man being charged, was apparently sitting on his porch when he witnessed some local teenagers partaking in homecoming festivities – namely, they were lobbing rolls of toilet paper in his yard. Upon seeing this, Petersen jumped in his pickup truck and chased the teenagers down. Blocks away from his house, he then aimed a gun at the group, say the teenagers.

Tyler McAnich, 15, one of the students involved in the confrontation, told the Associated Press, “I think it’s kind of stupid, that he’s an Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agent, and he was doing [two of] three things he’s trying to prevent.”

It was horribly stupid. And tragically pathetic.

Though Petersen has not yet had his day in court, this is not a situation the teenagers have fabricated. Reports show police received several calls about a man threatening a group of teenagers with a gun near a school.

While Petersen surrendered to authorities and has an arraignment set for Oct. 8, he still faces up to 20 years in prison and fines in excess of $50,000 if convicted.

Amid the arguments of whether airline pilots should be able to carry firearms – and whether our own campus police division should have Tasers – it would be pleasant to think we wouldn’t have to take into account that those whose right to bear arms is taken for granted wouldn’t have to be called into a question due to such a situation.

Toilet paper was the impetus for this particular incident, but clearly an abuse of power and supreme lack of judgment on the part of a federal agent are the roots of this idiotic situation. This was not “kind of stupid” and should not be taken “kind of seriously.”

Petersen was suspended shortly after his arrest. Suspended with pay, that is – he does, of course, still deserve his day in court. But no circumstances make this situation acceptable.

The federal level of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms will conduct its own investigation into what happened with Petersen last week. It can only be hoped the search will not be delayed, and that such blatant misuse of power and absence of sense aren’t a sign of what Iowa can expect from its other officials.

Editorial Board: Cavan Reagan, Amber Billings, Rachel Faber Machacha, Charlie Weaver, Zach Calef, Ayrel Clark.