Today's Most Popular Video
Nov 25, 2008 6:02 pm US/Central
I-TEAM: Deputy Chief Wants State Law On Fake Guns
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) ―
-
-
Since it is not considered a toy, the I-TEAM learned the air pistol was not required by federal law to have an orange tip as do realistic-looking play guns.
CBS
It's been a year since a Minneapolis ordinance took effect that bans fake firearms and gun replicas in public. Scott Gerlicher, the Minneapolis Deputy Police Chief who help put that law together, thinks the restrictions should expand and become state law.
Heading into the holiday season, police are concerned about the increasing popularity of air pistols and replicas with young people. They warn parents these guns are not toys and cause real damage. Just last spring, a teen armed with a fake gun was shot by Minneapolis police when he pointed the weapon at two officers.
This latest warning comes on the heels of several I-TEAM reports about realistic but fake firearms being used in violent crimes in Minneapolis and St. Paul.
At the request of police officials, K-Mart recently pulled air pistols and other replicas from its stores in the state's two largest cities. Although the shelves were cleared in their city stores, I-TEAM reporter Caroline Lowe had no trouble finding plenty of air pistols still available for sale at K-Mart's suburban stores.
For about $100, Lowe bought an air pistol and ammunition at a K-Mart in Dakota County. The clerk only had to check Lowe's driver's license because you have to be 18-years-old to buy one.
Lowe took the new air pistol to the Hennepin County Sheriff's range to see how it works. Sgt. Jim Goodrich trains sheriffs' deputies in the use of firearms. He agreed to shoot the air pistol and compare it with his own handgun.
Opening the package to look at the air pistol, Goodrich observed, "It's heavy, exact same color, you can see there's no orange tips on the front. This looks very, very real."
Since it is not considered a toy, the I-TEAM learned the air pistol was not required by federal law to have an orange tip as do realistic-looking play guns.
Shooting several rounds of lead pellets from the air pistol at a target 15 feet away, Goodrich said, "The velocity of this is almost half of a regular handgun round. So much smaller the piercing power of this can be severe. If you caught this in an eye or somewhere in your midsection, that could kill you."
Goodrich also fired several rounds form his own handgun at the same target and at the same distance. His gun's bullets left bigger holes in the target than those left by the pellets from our air pistol.
"Even though it's only traveling maybe half the speed of a normal handgun bullet, it's quite a bit smaller so you can get real good penetration," Goodrich commented, looking at the hole-ridden target. "You would not want to get shot with one of these."
The air pistols are not just popular with criminals -- teenagers and young men also like to use them for recreation. But Goodrich knows too well the danger of not being very careful with them.
"One of my relatives were playing around with one of these, didn't realize it was loaded and shot somebody with it. And they ended up having to go to the hospital. And it was a really close call," he said.
The Minnesota Department of Health reports 250 people were treated at local emergency rooms in this state for injuries from air pistols in the year 2006.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Truckers Sue For Unauthorized Citations
Click to enlarge
Click to enlarge
Stumble It!
Reporting
