Gun-shaped cell phone case: harmless fun or dangerous accessory?
A New Jersey prosecutor took to Facebook to caution residents that a new cellphone case shaped like a gun is 'not a cool product or a good idea.'
A prosecutor in southern New Jersey has asked the public not to buy handgun-shaped cellphone cases, warning that it could cause confusion and harbor dangerous consequences.
The office of Ocean County prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato photos of the case brandished at the camera, tucked in a woman鈥檚 back pocket, and held to her ear.
鈥淧lease folks 鈥� this cell phone case is not a cool product or a good idea,鈥� reads the post from Mr. Coronato鈥檚 office. 鈥淎 police officer鈥檚 job is hard enough, without having to make a split second decision in the dark of night when someone decides without thinking to pull this out while stopped for a motor vehicle violation. What do you think?鈥�
Judging by the responses recorded in the comments, the public concurs. One user wrote that the phone case was 鈥渢he听 second worst idea ever,鈥� receiving nearly 50 replies in agreement.
Another comment, garnering more than 800 likes, read: 鈥淭hat manufacturer should be held responsible for any shootings etc. What a senseless, provocative idea. Greedy moron. Typical 'take no responsibility' moron.鈥�
Coronato's warning was not prompted by any specfic incident involving the cases, but a response to concerns expressed by several members of law enforcement,听Al Della Fave, spokesman for the prosecutors' office, told .
鈥淭he first thing you notice is the realistic butt of the weapon and the trigger guard,鈥� he said. 鈥淎nd most kids ... carry their cell phones in their back pocket, and if they were to reach back for it, to pull it out to make a call, it's the same motion as someone pulling a concealed weapon.鈥�
The warning听comes on the heels of several high-profile incidents that involved authorities mistakenly shooting civilians they perceived to be armed, particularly children. Last November, amid rioting tensions over police brutality in Ferguson, a Cleveland officer shot and killed 12-year-old Tamir Rice near a playground, who turned out to be carrying a toy gun.
It echoed a similar narrative from California the year before, where a sheriff鈥檚 deputy fatally shot 13-year-old Andy L贸pez whose toy rifle he mistook for an assault weapon.
After the shooting of Rice, the St. Louis County police directed a tweet to parents last year, asking them to be more vigilant about how their items could appear. 鈥淚f you or your children have an air soft or pellet gun please sit them down at [sic] talk to them about this tragedy. Warn them that these 鈥榯oys鈥� do look like real guns and could result in the police getting called on them,鈥� it said.