When officers located the weapon, “they found that it was a BB gun that resembled a German Walther 9mm pistol.”Tragedy was averted last summer when a male juvenile drew a handgun – later determined to be a BB pistol – on Officer John Coffelt.“It nearly resulted in a fatal shooting had Officer Coffelt not taken critical time to order the subject to drop the weapon,” said Sgt. Marshall.All too often the reaction of the parent is that “it’s no big deal, it’s only a BB gun,” he added. “What they do not realize is that the officer must make that determination in the blink of an eye. Parents need to take this matter seriously as what may start as a prank could have tragic results.”Such replica BB guns are “readily available and a fired BB can hurt someone too,” although they are not considered dangerous weapons. But “brandishing one is in the eye of the beholder. . .it looks like the real thing and threatens like the real thing.”And police officers aren’t the only people that might fire if a replica BB gun is waved in their direction: “If a gang member sees one they might shoot back for real.”Sgt. Marshall noted that Animal Control Officer John Dunn’s report of the brandishing to the SPPD is “indicative of the strong and important cooperation among city departments.”
Rising popularity of BB pistols that look like the real thing a SPPD concern
April 09, 2004
Santa Paula Police Department
The rising popularity of BB guns that look like the real thing is becoming a serious problem and a Santa Paula juvenile was arrested for brandishing a replica firearm, according to a Santa Paula Police Department spokesman.
By Peggy KellySanta Paula TimesThe rising popularity of BB guns that look like the real thing is becoming a serious problem and a Santa Paula juvenile was arrested for brandishing a replica firearm, according to a Santa Paula Police Department spokesman.In fact, said Sgt. Gary Marshall, those who brandish such replica weapons are risking tragedy and could find themselves the focus of a shooting.On April 6 at about 6:46 p.m., Santa Paula Animal Control Officer John Dunn observed a “young male subject standing up in a vehicle through the sunroof, brandishing what appeared to be a handgun,” said Sgt. Marshall.Dunn notified the SPPD and Officer Dave Lusk responded, located the vehicle and initiated a high-risk vehicle stop. Additional officers, “units from all over the city,” also responded and four subjects, three males and a female, were removed from the vehicle.“Officers then located a BB pistol that looked identical to a Colt semi-automatic firearm. The 16-year-old that brandished the BB pistol was arrested for brandishing a replica firearm and later released to his parent.”The other two male juveniles were released to their parents without charges and the 18-year-old female, “being an adult, was released at the scene without charges.”The parents of the juveniles were shown the BB pistol and “they were astonished how much it looks like the real thing,” Sgt. Marshall noted.Replica BB guns seem to becoming a trend, he added: About two weeks ago, officers responded to a call of a three juvenile males in the street, one who was reported to have a handgun that he was displaying.
