At 3.15pm today Christchurch Police were called by a concerned member of the public that reported a male walking around the St Martin shops holding a handgun.
Armed Police attended and cordoned the area and located the male as he was exiting the New World supermarket.
It was at this time that Police discovered that the male was holding a cologne bottle that was shaped like a handgun, with a black barrel and brown handle.
Senior Sergeant Vaughn Lapslie says “Police would like to take this opportunity to remind people that toy guns and products that are made to look like real firearms, when carried in public and handled carelessly, cause a lot of concern in the community and get treated seriously by Police.”
A 28 year old male was arrested as a result of this incident and has received a formal warning from Police.
Vaughn Lapslie
Senior Sergeant | District Deployment Co-ordinator | New Zealand Police