Fake Firearm Sparks Aos Callout In Hamilton

New Zealand Police National News Release

14 November 2008

Hamilton Police are warning someone could get seriously hurt, or worse, following yet another incident of people brandishing imitation firearms in the city.

Tactical Response Manager, Inspector Karen Henrikson, said Police received a call of a shot being fired from a Mardon Rd address about 10.45am.

"As a result of this cordons were established at a number of intersections in the suburb of Enderley and our Police Negotiation Team and Armed Offenders Squad were called to the scene.

"After contact was made with the people in the house it was secured by the AOS and six people were removed from the property and interviewed about what had happened," she said.

A man in his late teens is currently still being interviewed by Police, an imitation M4 assault rifle was recovered on the property.

Last month Hamilton Police dealt with two other incidents involving imitation firearms being used in a public place, in one of those incidents two schoolboys ended up being confronted by armed officers in what was described by staff as a 'close call'.

"These imitation weapons appear very realistic and as a result when the public encounters someone with one of these guns they quite rightly think they're real.

"We then have a situation where considerable time and resources are tied up as Police deal with the incident not to mention the inconvenience to the public due to the number of road closures involved."

Ms Henrikson said Police were asking people to consider if they really needed such items as imitation firearms and if they did not to use them in a public place.

"We've been lucky so far that each of the last three incidents have been resolved without injury but these situations have the potential for very tragic consequences."

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