'Let's avoid tragedy': Police warn against giving toy guns as presents this holiday season
People are officially preparing for the holidays and all the gift giving that comes with the season. So one police department in North Carolina is making sure that families can “avoid tragedy” by not purchasing a specific type of gift for their children — a toy gun.
In a PSA posted to the Hillsborough Police Department’s Facebook page, officers warn people about the gift that can quickly become controversial and even fatal. With side-by-side pictures of an airsoft replica gun (an air gun used in so-called airsoft sports) and a real handgun, it becomes evident that the two aren’t dissimilar. And in terms of how to handle either kind, the department’s message is clear: Any gun should be treated as real.
“A gun should never be pointed at another person unless deadly force is necessary; these airsoft guns are real in the eyes of a law enforcement officer, CCW holder or someone protecting their home,” the post reads. “There is no way to tell a difference when making a split second decision.”
According to Lt. Andy Simmons, he and fellow officers were “taken aback” by the realness of the airsoft replica gun that they found in stores just last week.
“Upon seeing that, myself and my training officer said we need to do a PSA about this just so parents who are looking to get something like this for their kid understand what they’re getting themselves into,” he tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “The fundamentals of gun safety always apply, whether they’re airsoft, replica or real.”
Similar warnings have been put out about phone cases that resemble guns, about which a California police department explained “law enforcement will respond accordingly for a subject with a gun call.”
The bottom line from Hillsborough officers is “be very responsible with these ‘toys’.”
Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:
• Officer went into ‘dad mode’ when he confronted boys with realistic-looking toy gun: ‘Do you think I want to shoot an 11-year-old?’
• Teen hailed as hero for reporting classmate with gun and preventing possible school shooting
• Photographer defends picture of baby boy posing with a BB gun: ‘This photo is in no way meant to encourage gun violence’
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