Attempted murder charges against a man accused of trying to light a gas bottle on fire before hurling it into the windscreen of a police car in Adelaide's south at the weekend have been downgraded.
Chris Smolinski, 36, is facing 22 charges, including firearms and drug offences, but at a brief appearance at Christies Beach Magistrates court on Monday attempted murder charges against him were replaced with two counts of aggravated acts to endanger life.
Police were called to Mr Smolinski's Huntfield Heights home after a vehicle registered to his address had been spotted driving erratically on Marion Road in Bedford Park at around 6:00pm on Saturday.
Police allege it was there that Mr Smolinski tried to light the 9-kilogram gas cylinder on fire and threw it at the police car.
The bottle hit and smashed the windscreen of the vehicle while two officers were inside.
Police also allege he set fire to his front porch before he was restrained and taken into custody.
Police said one officer received minor glass cuts to their hands from the incident but only minor damage was caused by the fire.
The damaged police car had to be towed from the scene.
After his arrest on Saturday, a search was conducted at Mr Smolinski's house, where police allegedly found a number of chemicals as well as a firearm in his vehicle.
A police guard also remained at the house overnight with crime scene examiners and drug squad detectives attending the scene on Sunday.
Mr Smolinski did not apply for bail and was remanded in custody today to reappear in court in September.
