The calm of a residential neighbourhood in Esquimalt was shattered Wednesday night (May 16) when Victoria police conducted a high-risk takedown on four teenagers, one of whom appeared to be armed with a handgun.
Several officers raced to the corner of Lyall and Joffre streets around 8 p.m., after a resident witnessed a group of youths “yelling at people and causing a disturbance,” including one who was wielding what looked like a firearm, said Victoria police Const. Mike Russell.
Police seized an airsoft imitation gun found inside a 16-year-old boy’s hooded sweatshirt.
Police lectured the teens about the dangers of their actions, before releasing them to their parents. No criminal charges are being contemplated.
“The incident highlights the dangers of replica and airsoft guns,” Russell said. “Police are forced to treat the risk as real until otherwise known.”
emccracken@vicnews.com
