Teen Aims Toy Gun At St. Louis Park Officer In Close Call: Police

ST. LOUIS PARK, MN — Police in the west metro are warning parents to keep their children from playing with toy guns in public after a potentially dangerous incident last week was averted by fast-thinking officers.

On Aug. 11, St. Louis Park officers were called to a park when a witness reported two teens there, one of which was seen with a pistol. A group of people pointed responding officers toward the area where the teens were.

When police arrived, one of the teens was running and pointed his toy gun at an officer, authorities said. The teen then grabbed a second weapon from his waistband.

Thankfully, something about the situation did not seem right to the officer and he was able to take another second to figure out it was just a toy gun, police said.

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"Fortunately this potentially dangerous situation ended well," St. Louis Park police said in a statement. "Parents, we do not recommend allowing your children to run around public places with replica firearms. In fast moving situations or low light situations these weapons look very real."

Images via St. Louis Park Police