Warning to youths after armed officers respond to BB gun alert
A SENIOR officer has warned youngsters they risk facing heavily armed officers if they carry weapons – fake, replica or real – in public.
The warning comes after two teens were arrested in the city centre following an incident near the Noah's Ark public house in Courtney Street on Thursday evening.
Shortly before 8pm police received reports by a member of the public who said they had seen a group of youngsters shooting at a nearby property with a handgun.
The group of five youths were tracked on CCTV walking away from the car park towards the big screen.
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Armed response officers quickly swooped on the group.
Three girls with the group were taken home while two 17-year-old men were detained – one in possession of a BB gun.
The teenagers, one from Ford and one from Milehouse, were arrested on suspicion of causing harassment, alarm or distress – a public order offence.
One made a full admission and will be dealt with by restorative justice.
No further action will be taken against the second man.
Supt Chris Singer said the police's "over-riding duty was to protect life".
He said: "The recent tragic experiences in the United States highlight the danger of guns.
"The only way we can be certain a suspected weapon is not a fake, a replica or just a BB gun is from close examination.
"We have to deal with it as a real weapon until we can be sure otherwise, so we will always meet incidents like this with an armed response.
"Highly trained officers will assess the level of threat.
"Anyone wandering around with what appear to be weapons will be met with police officers carrying a variety of weapons and they will be directed to comply with their instructions.
"When you are met with such armed officers, it is a sobering experience. It will more than likely be frightening.
"However, it is no more frightening than how the public feel at seeing someone in the street carrying a weapon.
"Years ago, while off duty, I had what turned out to be a pretend double-barreled shotgun levelled at me. The level of fear which went through me I have never experienced before or since.
"We have all seen and read about the recent horrendous experiences in the United States and while our level of gun control is good we know there are still weapons in the hands of criminals in the UK and we cannot take the risk of not responding appropriately.
"We have to respond with armed officers to protect the public."
Comments
by Kittykat1
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 10:37PM
“@iamajc
The press doesn't always tell the whole truth at the end of the day. The girls had nothing to do with any of it and were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. As stated by the police who attended the scene... They were not with the boys at the time, they were on their way to ice skating and met up with the boys for a few minutes. Therefore it is not "one rule for females and another for males"
Maybe you should learn the true facts rather than making a judgement on something you clearly know nothing about.
@doubtless
Calling young kids names, how very grown up of you...
Again, maybe you too should learn the whole truth before you go around making judgements. People these days seem to be quick at pointing the finger, but slow to learn the actual facts.”
by Obvioustruth
Tuesday, January 15 2013, 10:16PM
“Throughout reading these comments I have seen some extremely rude remarks towards the Young girls involved in the incident, I personally feel that the situation was dealt with in the correct manner, and I believe the police on the scene clearly know more about what there doing or dealing with than many other people on this webpage. I have seen comments towards the girls stating that they are stupid and aimless young ladies, which is not encouraging them to at all learn from there mistakes or to be more mature or sensible in the future but just to insult. Its clear that you must also yourself be stupid and aimless, if you believe you are being provided the full and truthful story by the press, not only this if your taking your time to just provide insulting remarks towards the young ladies involved. I have also seen a comments saying "that's if they care what their offspring get up to", which is extremely rude and insulting towards there parents, especially if it was a one of incident. If the girls had caused trouble before or been involved with the police in the past I'm sure the officers would have picked up on this and dealt with it in a completely different manner to which it was dealt with, but by the seems of it its clear they have not. We all make mistakes especially at that young age, most likely the youths have learnt there lesson.”
by onbehalfof
Monday, January 14 2013, 8:13PM
“Hello, As my daughter was one of them girls. I'd like to take the time into telling you all to grow up. The girls that were involved did not know about the gun or that they was even carrying it. The boys was shooting it at the pub 20 minutes before meeting the girls and my daughter barley knew the boy that was carrying it. The girls turned up in the CCTV footage and went into Tesco so therefore the girls had to be searched just in case the boys asked one of them to hold onto it. My daughter and her friends has never had a detention or ever been in trouble at school, let alone with the police. Straight away the police new they weren't involved because how stocked they was that it had happened. The police sed 'If they had turned up 5 minutes later it wouldn't have happened' There for they didn't need to be taken to the police station because they had no idea that they had shot at the pub or that they was even carrying it. And to the person that is wondering if we care about are offspring yes we do by the fact the girls was walking to skating at pavilions was with the boys for 2 minutes to pick up a jacket of there friends and was about to leave when it happened. My daughter has never been in trouble. You lot are telling are girls to grow up, I think you all need to take a step back and watch what you say before you know any of the facts first. Thank you.”
by iamajc
Monday, January 14 2013, 12:47AM
“Doubtless If the other male was as complicit why did he get released with no further action? And why were the girls not arrested to as they must have been just as complicit as he was?
My main point is really why were the females of the group not arrested as well? Is it one rule for females and another for males? This seems to be the case in this country where females are often treated much more leniently than males for no other reason than their sex. IE sexism.”
by fiest1406
Sunday, January 13 2013, 9:51PM
“Just shows how society has changed....We used to love playing cowboys and indians with toy guns...without the threat of armed police pouncing”
by Countrygirly
Saturday, January 12 2013, 8:47PM
“Excellent. Several good points here. Firstly, CCTV works! The more of it the better. It has clearly helped to bring this to a swift conclusion. Secondly, I'm glad that we have armed cops looking after us. Don't you think it's reassuring to know that a person is seen with a gun and within a short time, armed cops have him / them subdued. Thirdly, at last... a cop who say it how it is. They are there to protect us but often it seems they are afraid of offending us in our pc world. Good to hear that idiotic and dangerous behaviour will be stamped on. Well done.”
by doubtless
Saturday, January 12 2013, 8:23PM
“iamajc; There was no 'innocent male' here; you know that as much as I do. As I said, if it looks like a gun, it may be a gun. I am not 'educated' enough to distinguish between a BB gun and a Glock. The two males were equally complicit, regardless of who held the gun; they were both equally idiotic, bordering on neanderthal (No surprise there; it's Plymouth)
As for the females; I am sure these feckless and stupid and aimless young ladies were sent home for a quick change of underwear. My advice to them remains unaltered..... Please choose more mature companions in future.”
by josdave
Saturday, January 12 2013, 8:04PM
“Put them in the cells and get the parents there that's if they care what their offspring get up to. In spite of what some people think BB guns are potentially lethal in the wrong hands and in this case they clearly were in the wrong hands so those idiots should be properly punished.”
by iamajc
Saturday, January 12 2013, 6:53PM
“@Doubtless
Were the females not complicit also though??? Just as complicit as the other male, so why are you happy that they were not arrested and only got a free ride home and some great advice from yourself, yet the innocent male was arrested.
So if you are wondering through the city center one day and bump into someone you know whom for whatever reason happens to be in possession of a BB gun (which is classed as a toy). After showing you this toy you carry on walking up the road only to be surrounded by armed police and arrested, having only looked at said toy, spend several hours in a cell before being released with no further action. You would be happy about being complicit in the matter would you? You then decide to go on holiday to the USA only to find that because you were complicit in someone else's wrong doing you are refused a visa...
@tinthepark
If they were illegal than fair enough but they are NOT illegal and stupidity is not illegal either luckily for these children. People can be sentenced up to 4 years for carrying a knife and 5 years for a firearm so your 'wonderful' suggestions are a bit rubbish really. How long shall we imprison teenagers with water pistols for? 18 months should be about right eh? Time to get tough on kids with toys, get real. A better idea would be for all toy and fake guns to be made of certain brightly coloured materials instead of being made to look realistic and wanting children found to be carrying toys to be imprisoned for 2 years”
by tinthepark
Saturday, January 12 2013, 5:50PM
“Replica /fake, give him two years, just for carrying it.
While on the subject, carrying knives, two years, using any weapon, five years.
Time to get tough, to many incident's appearing in the local headine's.”