Cop Busts Massive 'Paintball War,' Gets Shot At: Police

DETROIT, MI — A Detroit officer who tried to break up a massive paintball fight on the city’s east side ended up being shot at and now a man is facing charges. According to authorities, the Detroit police captain was in an unmarked car when he came upon a massive paintball fight at Cooper and Moffat streets April 25 with approximately 50 people armed with air propelled paintball rifles.

The officer reportedly activated his lights to identify himself, but when he stepped out of the vehicle, 22-year-old Davon Williams reportedly fired shots his way and struck his City of Detroit car. Williams was arrested at the scene and is now charged with two 93-day misdemeanors: assault and propelling an object at a passenger vehicle.

A total of six arrests related to paintball guns have been made recently, according to police: five adults and one juvenile.

Media outlets reported that it was an “East versus West” battle in the city of Detroit. Detroit Police Chief James Craig said the trending “Paint Up, Guns Down” concept is a bad idea, citing property damage, injury and fear from replica firearms. He said there are well intentions to stop the violence, but this social-media fueled activity has gone too far. In the last week, the department has handled 95 calls related to paintball guns.

“We have taken scout cars out of service to handle these calls when we know there are other emergency calls that can’t be handled because we are handling these calls,” Craig said. “So this must end and it must end now.”

Additional enforcement will patrol both sides of the city this weekend and officers will be making arrests, Craig added.

“We are urging young people to not get involved in this activity,” he said.

He also spoke of the dangers of having paintball guns that look so much like real weapons, in case an officer mistakes it for a real weapon and there’s a “deadly response.”

Williams will be arraigned Friday at the 36th District Court.

Image via Shutterstock
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