This is a refrain of the nagging problem in airsoft --- careless people carrying airsoft guns off the airsoft field and in full view of the public. No matter how the airsoft community explains to players and other people who want to own airsoft guns that is strong not recommended to display airsoft guns in public whilst in transit or worse, play airsoft in public areas.
The first thing that they will encounter is an armed response from the police once they are called to the scene by a concerned member of society. We cannot blame the police for bringing more firepower when they are responding to reports of guns in public. In the U.S., sometimes this can result into injury or death to the one holding the airsoft gun. Most often, it is usually young people who lose their lives when they do not know how to respond the police when they are told to yield their weapons.
Tamir Rice, Andy Lopez, Lionel Gibson, Paul Gaston… the list is just getting longer.
But in this case of the police responding to a call from a member of the public of adults with “firearms and hiding behind trash cans” in the City of Republic, Missouri, the adults apprehended were lucky that they exercised restraint. This resulted into a peaceful resolution of the problem and without the names of these arrested adults, whose names were not mentioned when the incident was posted by the Republic Police on their Facebook Page, being added to the list of fatalities for carrying airsoft guns in public. This incident took place last 17 August 2017:
Police will respond to reports of airsoft guns with real guns, and the one who loses the most is the person with the airsoft gun. We will always remind our readers of the dangers of airsoft guns in public and we will never tire of reporting about such incidents to keep the spotlight on such careless on the part of those who carry airsoft guns in places where people will get alarmed.
Thanks to Thumpy for sharing this on Facebook.
Top photo from City of Republic, Missouri Police Department Facebook Page.