911 Call About Toy Gun Prompts Warning From Commissioner
By Jim Melwert, Jericka Duncan
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - What turns out to be a toy gun, looked very real to a man who called 911 when a group of kids pointed it at him earlier this week.
In video released by police, a boy of about 10 is seen pointing a gun at a woman in a crosswalk near 16th Street and Allegheny Avenue Monday evening. The boy, along with two teens, eventually pointed the gun at a man who called 911.
By Thursday night, police say two of the kids, ages 10 and 13 were accompanied by their parents when they turned themselves in. Both suspects said the gun was not real.
Police said late Friday that someone near 16th and Venango reported they found a BB gun in their back yard.
Police say it has not been identified as the weapon involved in the surveillance video.
Police say there is a lesson to be learned for anyone who thinks playing around with fake guns is a joke.
"Use a gun like that, get yourself very much hurt," said Lt. George McClay. "That person that they went after that day with the gun, he came out with his real .45. You're looking at a couple decent kids that could have faced gun shot wounds, because they were joking or whatever acting like hooligans and you can't do that."
Police commissioner Charles Ramsey says it's fortunate no one was hurt, and he says it's a reminder to parents to be careful if they buy their children a toy gun that looks real.
Instead of replicas, he recommends the bright orange or yellow plastic guns that are clearly toys.
"Parents have to be very careful when they buy kids replicas like that, to make sure that if they're going to allow them to play with it, that they definitely never allow them to take it out of the house. But, I would encourage people never to buy those kind of toys," said Ramsey.
Detectives say they'll let the DA's office decide if charges are warranted.
