Juvenile Justice Digest - New types of toy guns are more realisticSeveral police departments in the Dallas area have issued reports that warn about new types of toy guns that closely replicate real weapons and can pose risks that officers may erroneously resort to deadly force.
Replica guns that shoot plastic pellets have become popular with children and adults who play paintball and other war games.
Known as airsoft models, they are designed to look like real weapons used by police and military forces.
In the Dallas suburb of Coppell, a police officer drew his service revolver after seeing a minor with what appeared to be a 9 nun handgun. It was one of the toy weapons.
The Carrollton City Council has even gone so far as to amend the city's firearms ordinance to prohibit minors from possessing the replica guns in public.
The new ordinance also bans anyone from using the toys in a way that would cause public alarm.
"We would like to remove both the possibility of somebody else shooting that person or the police shooting that person in a mistake," said Police Chief David James.
Copyright Washington Crime News Service Nov 29, 2002
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