Image From MHPS

By Brian Konrad

Incident could have had tragic consequences

Real or fake? Officers often have a split second to decide

May 27, 2022 | 1:28 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB — Police officers are often required to make split-second decisions when called to potentially dangerous situations.

Quite often, they have little or no information on which to base their decision.

Earlier this week, members of the Medicine Hat Police Service were called to a domestic dispute in the area of Carry Drive and Cameron Road S.E.

An individual was brandishing a weapon as officers arrived.

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It looked very real, but was actually a pellet gun.

Acting inspector of operations Cory Both says in this case officers did not have to make quick decision about whether it was real or not.

“Happily it did, but officers can’t be expected to formulate in a split second whether that’s a real gun or not,” says Both.

“For the accused, it’s a lucky thing that it wasn’t brandished in the presence of police because the outcome might have been far more tragic,” adds Both.

The person in possession of the pellet gun has been charged with assault with a weapon and possession of a weapon dangerous to the public.