COLONIAL HEIGHTS, Va. -- A Colonial Heights High School student was charged with two misdemeanors after police said he chased a student on Colonial Heights Middle School property with what appeared to be a gun. The gun turned out to be a toy gun and the incident was part of a prank. Police released a body-worn camera video of the encounter with police in an effort to educate the community about the danger of such behavior.
Police said the 19-year-old high school student knew the younger girl he was chasing outside the middle school while school let out on Wednesday afternoon.
"You’re doing it at the school, at dismissal. The kids barely left the building and you’re up here shooting people with Orbeez Guns," the officer, who expressed concern about student safety, can be heard telling the detained high school student on the video.
Watch police encounter student after school gun scare
The officer also shared his worry that a citizen with a real gun might be compelled to shoot the student with the toy gun to protect others.
"Somebody driving by here with a real gun sees you doing something like that, spray painted black at a little girl walking down the street, they don’t know it's her sister," he said.
Colonial Heights Police Major Rob Ruxer said the Orbeez gun the student used was modified to look real.
"It had been painted black, which made it more similar in appearance to an actual weapon," Ruxer said. "It was shaped in the style of a small AR-15 Rifle."
Ruxer said he hoped this recent incident served as a wake-up call to both students and their parents.
"In this instance, parents need to be careful about what their students are doing. This case could have turned out a lot worse," he said. "We’ve had reports of this behavior through the city where kids are engaging in these activities with these water pistols."
The student, who is charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct and trespassing is due in court on May 22.
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