Fake guns a real problem for Dallas-area police because they’re so easy to get Caleb Downs
Highland Park police Detective Randy Millican holds an airsoft gun (left) and his own Glock handgun. Highland Park is one of a few local cities with ordinances restricting toy gun sales. (DMN file photo)
Christopher Montgomery, 33, is being held in the Dallas County Jail on $300,000 bail.
The assault rifle looked real enough when an armed robber jumped the counter April 28 at a Family Dollar in Far East Dallas.
“Everyone to the back!” the gunman yelled before grabbing $150 from the register and fleeing in his blue Toyota Solara, police records show.
When officers stopped the Toyota two days later, they found three cash registers in the trunk and a paintball gun made to look like an AR-15.
They arrested the driver, 33-year-old Christopher Michael Montgomery, a suspect in seven similar robberies.
Fake guns like Montgomery’s are showing up routinely in robbery and assault investigations across the Dallas area. In fact, some in law enforcement suspect airsoft, paintball and BB guns may have become many criminals’ weapons of choice.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if the majority of weapons used in robberies were fake,” said James McLellan, a spokesman for the Irving Police Department.
from WordPress http://ift.tt/25r2xE5
No comments:
Post a Comment