The Kelowna RCMP is warning the public about brandishing imitation guns in public.
The warning stems from an incident on Saturday morning, May 15, after officers came across a man in possession of an “imitation rifle” on a routine foot patrol.
“Our front line police officers will treat all guns as real until it can be safely proven that they aren’t,” said Cpl. Jocelyn Noseworthy, a Kelowna RCMP officer.
“Imitation firearms need to be dealt with responsibly.”
According to police, the man agreed to hand over the airsoft rifle to police for seizure and to be destroyed.
“BB guns, airsoft guns and replica firearms that have the appearance of a real gun are showing up more and more frequently in our communities,” said Noseworthy.
“These realistic weapons can all trigger a very serious response from police.”