He took offense to US flag displayed at night without light on it — so cops said he fixed it. Badly.

Seems a California man defines "properly illuminated" rather, er, broadly when it comes to properly displaying the American flag.

Police told KOVR-TV that Joshua Lozon noticed Old Glory hanging outside the Glenshire General Store in Truckee at night and took offense that the flag had no light on it.

Image source: KOVR-TV video screenshot

He later told cops that's a violation of the U.S. flag code, the station added.

The code does say the "universal custom" is "to display the flag only from sunrise to sunset on buildings and on stationary flagstaffs in the open. However, when a patriotic effect is desired, the flag may be displayed twenty-four hours a day if properly illuminated during the hours of darkness."

Problem is, Lozon's alleged method of remedying the situation was stupid — and dangerous: Police told KOVR he set the flag on fire.

It isn't clear if the suspect misread the part of the code which says a flag "should be destroyed in a dignified way, preferably by burning" — but when it's "in such condition that it is no longer a fitting emblem for display."

Image source: KOVR-TV video screenshot

The partially burned flag was found about 7 a.m. Saturday, the Union reported, and police recognized Lozon after viewing surveillance video, Sgt. Danny Renfrow said.

What happened to the suspect?

Lozon, 27, is charged with felony arson and was booked into jail on $250,000 bail, the Reno Gazette-Journal reported. If convicted, he could face up to three years in prison, police told KOVR.

Joshua Lozon (Image source: Nevada County Sheriff's Office)

What happened to the burned flag?

The flag was removed and will be turned over to the Tahoe Truckee Composite Squadron, Civil Air Patrol, United States Air Force Auxiliary for proper retirement, the Gazette-Journal said.

An Army veteran had his wife drop off his personal American flag at the store later in the day as a replacement, the Gazette-Journal added.

“He lives in the neighborhood," Sgt. John Mon Pere of Truckee Police told the paper. "Very small town, very cool."

What did the store owner have to say?

Jack McDaniel, owner of the general store, told KOVR that Lozon was a customer and that if he "had a problem" with the lack of nighttime illumination, Lozon should've come to him and said, "Hey, maybe it’d be good if you took your flag down at night."

Image source: KOVR-TV video screenshot

McDaniel’s daughter Allie — who helps run the store — added to the station that it's "very contradictory that he burns it for patriotism."

In the end, McDaniel is just relieved that nothing else caught fire during the flag burning.

Image source: KOVR-TV video screenshot

"There’s a lot of wood right here," he told KOVR, pointing toward the parts of the building near where the flag was displayed. "It could catch on fire easily."