Arkansas Cop kills kid with airsoft gun

[P7hk9]

Well, we all knew it was going to happen again.
http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=6719724

And here's the talk about legislation
http://www.wreg.com/Global/story.asp?S=6744573

[gatekeeper]

sad story. The family has reason to be upset. unless the boy was aiming or threatening others with the gun there was no reason to shoot him. Even so it is important that when you are playing airsoft in a populated area you have orange tips and let others know of your intent. sounds as if the boy just had it and wasnt playing in any games but he never had the chance to understand the outcome of his actions. only 12 years old.

[Pelti]

Originally Posted by gatekeeper

sad story. The family has reason to be upset. unless the boy was aiming or threatening others with the gun there was no reason to shoot him. Even so it is important that when you are playing airsoft in a populated area you have orange tips and let others know of your intent. sounds as if the boy just had it and wasnt playing in any games but he never had the chance to understand the outcome of his actions. only 12 years old.

Don't count on orange tips to save you, and do not brandish your airsoft guns on a public street, or really anywhere other than a designated field. We don't know from the article the exact circumstance of how the boy was shot, but we do know that displaying his airsoft gun in public led to this tragedy.

[P7hk9]

Gatekeeper, I think you are missing the point. Yes, it is a terrible, terrible tragedy that a young boy was killed. But it was an AVOIDABLE tragedy.

The whole purpose of us posting these articles is to show what can happen when people use bad judgment with airsoft guns. Replicas are made to look like the real thing. Cops can't be expected to wait and see if that gun is real or not. Orange tips don't do anything, either -- there are quite a few cases of criminals painting orange tips on their guns so that cops wouldn't shoot. And ANY cop would shoot someone with a replica if he thought he was in danger.

Bottom line: Airsoft guns in public is always a bad idea. BAD THINGS happen when people have their replicas in public places. Cop sees a kid with airsoft in public = bad. Cop sees kid with airsoft at sanctioned field = no problem.

[gatekeeper]

yeah i agree i was just saying the kid probably did not know any better. He was just a kid that got a cool new toy. Probably on his way to a friends house to show it off. I know the cops cant take chances with things like these.

yea thats why usually the directions always say "don't reveal in public may be mistaken for a real gun"

[Shabutaru117]

In my opinion its not airsoft guns its who gives them to the kids. Parents blame everyone else but themselves when they gave they kids the realistic looking guns in the first place.