Arvada West

Use Caution/Common Sense w/TOY Guns

Oct 24, 2000

Can you tell the difference between the toy and the real gun?







The Arvada Police Department warns grown-ups and kids to show caution when buying TOY guns because exact replicas of actual weapons can pose a threat to officers and citizens who may come into contact with those possessing look-alike guns.

The warning stems from an incident on July 15, where a woman contacted an Arvada police officer stating she saw teenagers with a handgun, and thought they were going to shoot the weapon. Arvada officers contacted four male teenagers in the parking lot of a Dairy Queen located near West 64th Avenue and Simms Street. After interviewing the teens, it was determined that the TOY gun was an exact replica of a Sig P228 handgun, purchased through a magazine called ?“Cheaper Than Dirt.?”

?“You cannot distinguish the TOY weapon and a Sig P228 handgun when the two guns are held side-by-side,?” said Commander Gary Creager of the Arvada Police Department. ?“Creager adds, ?“while this particular gun is a TOY, it has such a realistic look and sound that it could result in an officer using deadly force if the weapon was pointed at an officer or a citizen.?”

The Arvada Police Department?’s advice: Be sure TOY guns look and sound like TOYS, especially if the toys will be played with outdoors.