Kent police officer educates teenager about air rifle safety after incident

This week, a Kent Police officer counselled a 17-year-old following an incident involving an air rifle on the Kent Kangley Road.

According to police, Officer A. Davis responded to a 911 call that a man had been struck by a BB gun while walking. Although the man was not injured, he provided a description of the vehicle from which the shot was fired. He did not have the license plate, but Officer A. Davis did some investigation and was able to determine the likely license plate of the suspect vehicle. The vehicle was registered to an address in Kent.

“Many people owned air rifles as children,” police said. “Most of us used them along with slingshots, rocks and frozen pine cones to knock over cans or maybe shoot at a paper plate.”

Today, air rifles are becoming more and more like real firearms and can cause serious problems if not handled with due caution in public.

Through investigation, Officer Davis was able to identify the vehicle’s likely license plate and match it to an address in Kent. Upon arrival, the officer spoke with the registered owner and his 17-year-old son, who admitted responsibility for the incident. The teenager stated that he and a friend were “shooting at each other” with air rifles in the car and that a bullet must have accidentally exited the open window.

The boy was remorseful and apologized, and his father assured Officer Davis that his son would be disciplined. The 911 caller was satisfied with this resolution.

Officer Davis stressed the importance of handling BB guns, toy guns and replica weapons responsibly. Such items can easily be mistaken for real weapons, which can have serious consequences.

“We have all done stupid things as teenagers, and there is a difference between doing something stupid and intentionally trying to harm others. This case is fortunately the former,” police added.

Parents are encouraged to educate their children about the dangers associated with handling these items in public and to ensure that they are used only in safe and appropriate environments.