Not a weapons expert but that looks a lot like a real firearm.

[vetran]

I'm hoping to <name your preferred deity> that I'm never in the same camp as Abbot. I do however feel that we need to break the cycle of violence and clearly the current solution isn't working. Win the hearts and minds of kids, give them a future and not let then believe that they will always be treated like criminals, and maybe they won't fall into a life of crime.

Maybe a something like this could work ...

Hey I am with you, I want peace love and understanding. Maybe if idiots didn't wave close replicas of lethal weapons around the Police wouldn't react in force.

The parent is at fault for giving him / letting him have something that looks very much like a firearm.

Diane Abbot & mother is at fault for making it a race thing. He had what looked like a Glock the police should have reacted the way they did regardless, I bet all the toy guns have gone in the bin now.

The government is at fault for not encouraging vulnerable youths away from criminals. But as many criminals are none white one wonders if they are afraid?

Lucky he didn't shoot at anyone and he was in the UK

Prosecutors Drop Charges Against Black Boy Who Played With a Toy Gun | The Orlando Advocate

Boy 13, carrying toy gun shot dead by cops AFTER he hit the ground' | Daily Mail Online

now what would have happened if it had been real and linked to a shooting that had happened?

[vetran]

the law

Q329: Can I have an imitation firearm?

It is an offence to possess an imitation firearm in a public place unless the person can prove they have lawful authority or a reasonable excuse. It is also an offence to manufacture, import or sell a realistic imitation firearm, or to modify an imitation firearm so that it becomes a realistic imitation firearm. There are some exceptions, for example, weapons used in historical re-enactments, theatrical productions and film making.It is also an offence to possess an article capable of being used to convert an imitation firearm, where the person intends to use the article (whether by itself or with other articles) to convert such a firearm. Registered firearms dealers are exempt from this offence.
It is an offence to sell an imitation firearm to a person under the age of 18, or for a person under 18 to purchase one.
An imitation firearm has been defined as 'anything, which has the appearance of being a firearm whether or not it is capable of discharging any shot, bullet, or other missile' so could include toy guns. Many imitation weapons are very realistic and until the weapon has been seized, it is difficult to ascertain whether it is genuine or not.
All calls to police involving firearms are treated as if it is a genuine firearm so be aware that if you do wave an imitation firearm around you could find yourself surrounded by firearms officers pointing real weapons at you.

hmm pity its not an offense to posses one under the age of 18 unless its clearly marked as one.

[NotAllThere]

I'm hoping to <name your preferred deity> that I'm never in the same camp as Abbot. I do however feel that we need to break the cycle of violence and clearly the current solution isn't working. Win the hearts and minds of kids, give them a future and not let then believe that they will always be treated like criminals, and maybe they won't fall into a life of crime.

Maybe a something like this could work ...

I think we're all beginning to lose sight of the real issue here, which is: what are we going to call ourselves? My own personal preference is "The Committee for the Liberation and Integration of The Obnoxious and their Rehabilitation Into Society."

[Whorty]

Hey I am with you, I want peace love and understanding. Maybe if idiots didn't wave close replicas of lethal weapons around the Police wouldn't react in force.

The parent is at fault for giving him / letting him have something that looks very much like a firearm.

Diane Abbot & mother is at fault for making it a race thing. He had what looked like a Glock the police should have reacted the way they did regardless, I bet all the toy guns have gone in the bin now.

The government is at fault for not encouraging vulnerable youths away from criminals. But as many criminals are none white one wonders if they are afraid?

Lucky he didn't shoot at anyone and he was in the UK

The problem again seems to be how poorly the police have handled this in such sensitive times. I don't disagree that the police should be have a word with the boy and him mom, but there are so many ways to do this and I don't think searching the whole house, when you have identified in the first minute that the 'gun' is a toy, is the ideal way to go.

Surely it would have been better to educate the boy and mom on why this is serious issue. Talk to them straight but as equals. Win hearts and minds. Or, as seems to be the way with the Met, go in heavy handed and search the house for no good reason.

It would be akin to a cop seeing you with a bag of white powder. On checking they confirm it's flour but because of your ethnic profile they search the house for cocaine because hey, others who look like you have cocaine so you might too.

This is what the BLM movement to me is fundamentally about.

[DimPrawn]

The problem again seems to be how poorly the police have handled this in such sensitive times. I don't disagree that the police should be have a word with the boy and him mom, but there are so many ways to do this and I don't think searching the whole house, when you have identified in the first minute that the 'gun' is a toy, is the ideal way to go.

Surely it would have been better to educate the boy and mom on why this is serious issue. Talk to them straight but as equals. Win hearts and minds. Or, as seems to be the way with the Met, go in heavy handed and search the house for no good reason.

It would be akin to a cop seeing you with a bag of white powder. On checking they confirm it's flour but because of your ethnic profile they search the house for cocaine because hey, others who look like you have cocaine so you might too.

This is what the BLM movement to me is fundamentally about.

What a load of fluffy nonsense.

[AtW]

If it’s not a plasma gun in 40 watt range - it’s worth less thsn a car without PDK, that’s right - less than sheet

[DoctorStrangelove]

I'll stick with the long slide .45 ACP M1911 auto with a laser sight, thanks.

[Whorty]

What a load of fluffy nonsense.

Because what is happening today is working really well?

[DimPrawn]

Because what is happening today is working really well?

No on got hurt, just someone's feelings. Most important aspect is anyone who appears to be armed is shutdown quickly. If you don't like it, don't give your bloody kids toys that look like weapons FFS.

[Whorty]

No on got hurt, just someone's feelings. Most important aspect is anyone who appears to be armed is shutdown quickly. If you don't like it, don't give your bloody kids toys that look like weapons FFS.

I agree no one got hurt, but if you're black in London you're singled out constantly and treated differently purely because of skin colour. 99 times out of 100 what happens to them doesn't 'hurt' them physically, but that's not the point. Would a white child have been treated the same? Would the Met have searched the house if this were a white family?

I don't disagree that if the toy looks real, in this day and age it's probably not a suitable toy. But there are so many ways to deal with the situation without triggering another case of the Met treating a black kid badly. It could even be the case that this has scared the kid and he now no longer trusts the Met - that's not a good thing. The Met needs to change else we'll never get out of this same cycle. It's really not rocket science.