Despite that main image, this is actually a serious issue in the States right now.
Police officers in Detroit have been ordered to set up special patrols this weekend to ensure that a spate of city-wide paintball wars do not go ahead.
On Friday, a Detroit man was charged for allegedly firing a paintball gun at an officer and his police car.
The officer, who was in an unmarked vehicle, observed approximately 50 people shooting the pneumatic weapons at one another Wednesday on Detroit’s east side.
When the officer turned on his lights to alert them to his presence, a 22-year-old man shot his paintball gun in the officer’s direction, hitting the car, and he is now facing two misdemeanour charges: assault and propelling an object at a passenger vehicle.
Detroit Police Chief James Craig told local news that there had been a massive uptick in paintball related complaints, with around 100 calls to 911 in the last few days to do with paintball issues.
He has set up two special details this weekend, one on each side of the city, to crack down on paintball-gun use.
Craig said that beyond the damage caused by the paintballs, there is also a much more serious issue to be aware (via USA Today):
“Police officers, when confronted with someone with a replica weapon… they may make the mistake thinking it’s a real firearm and feel threatened, and there may be a deadly response to that.
“So we’re saying today: Stop. Don’t do it.”
We think a happy medium would just be to watch all of the paintball episodes from Community again…
Clip via SonyPicturesDVD
LISTEN: You Must Be Jokin’ with Aideen McQueen – Faith healers, Coolock craic and Gigging as Gaeilge
