GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Green Bay police encountered yet another instance of what they are calling a facsimile gun on Thursday.
Officers arrested a man for suspected drug possession Thursday night near River Ramp parking ramp on Pine Street.
While searching the man, officers discovered what they thought was Glock handgun.
Police say the gun looked and felt like a Glock. However, upon further inspection, officers discovered that the handgun was in fact a BB gun.
Earlier this week, the Green Bay Police Department arrested a teenager after he flashed a facsimile gun at them repeatedly. Officers also released video of the encounter. Police have also been seeing a rise in the use of air guns.
Owner of Commando Paintball Sports Derek Muenster says the recent events in Green Bay sadden him because of the black eye it puts on the sport.
“When you start to take it out (in public), you’re not taking it out there to play as a sport,” said Muenster. “You’re taking it out there to maybe try and act tough and intimidate people which is not a very wise thing to do at all.”
The airsoft style gun from the Fourth of July had an orange tip, but Thursday’s BB gun did not.
Captain Ben Allen with the Green Bay Police Department says these situations are being seen all over the country.
“It looked very realistic, felt very realistic, was heavy like a gun, like that glocks that we carry and thought it was, and here it’s a BB gun,” Allen said.
And though the incident on the fourth involved a 16 year old boy, the latest was an adult man at the River Ramp parking ramp on North Washington and Pine Street. Officers originally took him into custody for potential drug possession.
Then found the weapon during a search.
“Someone that we would expect to make more sound decisions as an adult,” Allen said. “Not to have this gun out there.”
Airsoft guns are required to have an orange tip, but BB guns don’t.
“How easy is it for the public to access these types of BB styled guns?” Fox 11 asked.
“Sure, you know you can get anything online these days,” said Allen. “You can go to the big box stores and purchase these types of toys, firearms, guns, BB guns, they’re everywhere.”
Captain Allen’s still unsure of when this problem will end.
With Muenster saying whether it’s a toy or not, basic gun safety guidelines should be followed.
“You don’t take them out in public. You don’t put them in an unsafe direction,” said Muenster. “You don’t play with them in a circumstance or area they’re not meant to be.”
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