Scott Tod admits that he has a real worry that one day someone using a fake handgun will lead to a local tragedy.
“The last thing I would like to see and the most dangerous thing to our community would be to have a police officer discharge a firearm and injure someone and perhaps kill someone who is using an imitation firearm,” Tod told BayToday at Nipissing University
Tod believes the appearance between a real gun and fake gun is very had to distinguish, especially when officers have only seconds to decide how to deal with the threat coming from someone holding a gun.
He believes fake guns pose a real danger to the criminals who use them.
“The criminals should recognize this too, that by taking an imitation firearm and try to intimidate someone with it only raises the level of violence that is already happening in our community,” said Tod.
In North Bay, Tod says the fake gun is becoming more common among criminals who are using it, especially in the drug trade.
“We have seen a number of imitation firearms in our community this year with people who are selling drugs,” said Tod bluntly.
“They are using it as a threat of intimidation or extortion to collect the money that is owed to them.”
