Did the officer go home safely?
That is all that matters.
So you can tell the difference in a split second, remembering that your life depends on it? That’s quite a superpower.
“”Cleveland Police Patrolmen’s Association president Jeff Follmer said the fact that the caller said the gun was probably fake was never relayed to the responding officers.
“Besides we have to assume every gun is real,” he said. “When we don’t, that’s the day we don’t go home.”””
There you have it.
It was an airsoft with it`s red tip removed. Ever seen an airsoft pistol? Remove that red tip and many are dead ringers for the real thing at distance, now that`s a Darwinian end, suicide by cop!
If you saw this weapon you would think it was real.
If the punk pulled out this weapon on you, you would think he was threatening to shoot you. . .and you would take that threat seriously and shoot him.
Police drive up, see the weapon, punk hides the weapon in his waistband, police tell him to put his hands up, instead punk pulls the weapon and the police shoot.
Choices were: Wait for the punk to take the first shot or shoot the punk before he can shoot. BB gun? Not a BB gun? How can you tell. . .you can't.