It is that news again that we have been dreading in the airsoft community, a young man holding a BB gun by shot by the police after he refused to follow their instructions. In this case, San Diego Police fatally shot a 15-year old in front of Torrey Pines High School where he was a freshman student. According to the police, he was carrying a semi-automatic BB air pistol.

There is no further confirmation if the BB pistol is an actual airsoft gun. Nevertheless, whether it is an airsoft gun or not, as long as it resembles a firearm, the police will defend themselves if they think it is a real weapon being pointed at them. This has been proven before and the result will always be the same, either the death or injury to the person holding the imitation firearm.

The unfortunate incident started when somebody called 911 at 3:27am, believed to be the same boy, asking the police to check the welfare of a unarmed boy standing in front of the school. When the officers arrived, the boy “pulled a handgun that was concealed in his waistband and pointed it at one of the officers,” according to the police.

The officers reacted by quickly drawing their weapons, ordering the boy to drop the gun. The boy refused to obey their orders and started walking towards one office, forcing them to open fire and hit the boy several times. They performed first aide and called for paramedics, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Both officers hd their body cameras on when the incident took place, giving investigators video footage for them to review. One of the officers is has been with the force for 28 years while the other is four years.

Incidents like this have led to some members of the airsoft community calling for age limits in owning an airsoft gun to prevent children and teenagers from carrying these in public. Many countries put age restrictions, which usually allows those 18 years and above to purchase airsoft guns and those below 18 years old can only use airsoft guns under the supervision of someone who is over 18 years old.

Top Photo: San Diego Police Interceptor (Source: Wikipedia)