An article from a newspaper in Minnesota recently highlights the dangers of realistic pellet and bb guns for teens and others. The article reports on several recent incidents where teens were shooting pellet guns at a variety of objects, including cars, lights and geese.
The article makes a very good point about realistic-looking pellet guns and how situations can quickly escalate to a deadly police shooting when it’s not clear the gun is not a firearm. “Officers don’t know what they’re dealing with and what the dangers are of these weapons looking so real,” OPD Capt. Jeffrey Mundale said in the article.
Police must make split second decisions when facing realistic looking weapons and are trying to act in the interest of the greatest public safety. As recently as May, police shot and killed a man brandishing a pellet gun modeled after a real pistol.
Teens are often drawn to realistic-looking toy guns and pellet guns and often enjoy acting out scenes from movies, televisions shows or military combat. To the untrained eye, or an officer making split-second decisions, the guns appear very real and lethal. If your son or daughter is arrested for “playing” with a pellet gun, the consequences can be severe. Even worse, using the pellet gun inappropriately could result in horrible tragedy. If your child is arrested or issued a citation, be sure to talk with an experienced juvenile criminal defense attorney right away. Contact JR Law at 757-455-9277.