Any person who points a replica firearm, whether airsoft, BB gun, or a non-firing prop at an armed police officer will get shot. Incidents like this are usually fatal to the person holding the replica firearm. But in this case, the person in question is lucky to survive after being shot by a police officer inside an Arlington Mall in Texas over the weekend.

Local news media report that a suspected thief inside a mall was in critical condition after police shot him when he pointed a replica firearm. The 20 year old suspect pulled the replica from his waist, perhaps thinking the police would back off. But then, he forgot that the police are armed with real guns, so he got shot when the police officer reacted to his action of pointing a BB gun at him. For the police, they cannot readily distinguish a replica from the real thing as they look the same, and they will always treat a replica as a real gun, especially when it is pointed at them.

Mall security personnel were following the suspect, who was said to have stolen two pairs sunglasses from the local Sunglass Hut branch last Sunday according to Dallas News. He then fled from them and went down the escalator where one on-duty officer on the lower floor was responding while another responding officer stayed on the upper floor. The suspect then pulled the BB gun and pointed at the police officer on the lower floor who then fired, believing it was a real gun, wounding him.

Will Johnson, Arlington Police Chief, tweeted photos of the incident and the BB gun recovered from the suspect:

First photograph of the suspect in the shooting at Parks Mall depicts the suspect pulling out a gun and points it towards a uniformed @ArlingtonPD officer just out of the picture frame. Gun was later determined to be an imitation replica B.B. gun after the shooting pic.twitter.com/YK1UK8uowr

— Will Johnson (@ArlingtonChief) 27 November 2017

Replica imitation firearms/BB guns have no place in society when used in criminal endeavors. There is no training that would allow officers to distinguish between what’s real & what’s fake in a matter of seconds. We will continue focusing efforts on new legislation. pic.twitter.com/EYgW5wZ0Jb

— Will Johnson (@ArlingtonChief) 27 November 2017

No other injuries were reported and the name of the police officer who fire on the suspect was not revealed.

While the replica firearm is an actual airsoft gun, as it looks like a Marksman BB .177 Air Pistol, it should not mean that the airsoft community will feel relieved. Airsoft guns are considered replicas or real imitation firearms, they can be lumped together with other replicas, and thus airsoft can get affected. Can incidents like this be stopped altogether? Perhaps not. There will be those with criminal intent who will use anything to achieve their goals, including the use of replicas. But let this be lesson (again) for airsofters that pointing replicas at the police can lead to dangerous situations, such as injuries or loss of life.